Ball Aerospace Awarded $42 Million for Laser Research

ALBUQUERQUE, NM /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. has been awarded a $42 million indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity research and development contract to conduct laser-effects research for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The contract will support the AFRL's Directed Energy Directorate, located at New Mexico's Kirtland Air Force Base.

"We are pleased that the AFRL has selected Ball Aerospace to support its critical laser development and evaluation research efforts," said Jeff Osterkamp, Vice President and General Manager for Ball Aerospace's National Defense Solutions business unit. "This is yet another opportunity to help mature and enhance the AFRL's laser-technology capabilities that protect our national security."

Under the five-year contract, Ball Aerospace will conduct analytical modeling and experimental studies to predict the effects of lasers on missiles. These studies provide signature information associated with materials, components, and systems.

About Ball Aerospace
Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. supports critical missions of important national agencies, such as the Department of Defense, NASA, NOAA, and other U.S. government and commercial entities. The company develops and manufactures spacecraft, advanced instruments and sensors, components, data-exploitation systems, and RF solutions for strategic, tactical, and scientific applications. For more than 50 years, Ball Aerospace has been responsible for numerous technological and scientific firsts and acts as a technology innovator for the aerospace market.

About Ball Corp.
Ball Corp. is a supplier of high-quality metal and plastic packaging products for beverage, food, and household products customers, and of aerospace and other technologies and services, primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corp. and its subsidiaries employ more than 15,500 people worldwide and reported 2007 sales of $7.4 billion.