Defense contractor Northrop Grumman announced it has won a major contract to outfit the newly created Space Force – now an official armed wing of the US Military – with armaments, specifically the rayguns it will need to carry out its mission.

A spokesperson for the company said this represented a new venture for
Northrop Grumman, which has heretofore focused on conventional weapons like guided missiles and high-powered canons.

The new weapons being developed for the Space Force will require a great deal of research and development, hence the high price tag of the contract. Experts at Jane Magazine expect that number to grow even higher as unanticipated problems are encountered and deadlines fail to be met.

The first such deadline is in early 2021, when a prototype is to be demonstrated to Pentagon officials that is required to go ‘pew pew’ when fired.