Luna Innovations, Lockheed Martin extend partnership

Photo Credit: Lockheed Martin

Luna Innovations Inc., (Roanoke, Va., U.S.) a provider of advanced optical technology for integration with composite structures announced on Dec. 15 a $6.2 million deal with Lockheed Martin (Bethesda, M.D., U.S.), further extending a long-term relationship that has resulted in the development of new optical measurement products that will help to ensure the global fleet of F-35 aircraft, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, are ready for service.

“The longevity and success of our relationship with Lockheed Martin is a testament to our mission to accelerate bringing state-of-the-art products that rely on fiber optics, like the F-35, to market and recognizes our technical expertise as well as our employees’ significant contributions to the success of such critical programs," says Scott Graeff, president and CEO of Luna. “The foundational work we have done in the last several years has created the platform and scale to support the fulfillment of increasingly large orders.”

Luna supplies various aerospace and defense manufacturers with products for next-generation aircraft — including the Luna ODiSI and HYPERION fiber-optic sensing systems and sensors, the Luna Optical Backscatter Reflectometer (OBR) and Luna terahertz test and measurement systems for measuring the thickness of stealth coatings.

In 2018, Luna was recognized by Lockheed Martin as an Evolutionary Technology Supplier of the year, out of more than 1,900 suppliers globally, acknowledging the company’s technology offerings for the support, testing and manufacturing of the F-35 Lightning II program, one of Lockheed Martin’s largest aviation initiatives.

The F-35 Lightning II aircraft is in production with more than 595 delivered to U.S. and international customers, and a total of more than 900 expected to be delivered by 2022.

The financial impact of this agreement is included in the 2020 financial guidance that Luna reaffirmed on its Nov. 9th earnings call and on the Dec. 3^rd announcement of the acquisition of OptaSense.