Kopin Gains on National Defense Order

Kopin Corporation (NASDAQ: KOPN) noted its shares were on the move upward Monday. The company, a leading provider of application specific optical systems and high performance micro-displays for defense, enterprise, consumer and medical products, today announced it has received a $3.4 million follow-on order for its high-brightness liquid crystal display for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. With the F-35 scheduled for production through 2030, Kopin expects additional orders over the life of the program.

The F-35, the world’s most advanced 5th Generation jet fighter, is a family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather, day and night stealth, multirole combat aircraft. The jet is designed to perform both air superiority and strike missions while also providing electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

Much of the functionality is enabled through the augmented reality (AR) helmet that uses Kopin’s microdisplay and provides the pilot with vast quantities of flight, tactical, and sensor information for advanced situational awareness, precision and safety. The extensive functionality and extreme conditions require unique display technology and Kopin is the sole supplier to this production program.

The largest procurement program in the Department of Defense (DOD), the F-35 strike fighter aircraft is being procured in different configurations for multiple branches of the DOD, including the United States Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy. Kopin has been the sole supplier of microdisplays for the F-35 pilot helmets since the program's inception, providing thousands of displays to date.

KOPN shares gathered 1.5 cents, or 1.2%, to $1.30.