Optics for Hire, an Arlington, Mass., supplier of optical engineering services, announced it was selected by Laser Components Instrument Group, of Wilmington, Mass., to assist in the development of a new generation of laser spectrometer. The outsourcing service's team of Ukraine-based engineers delivered a new system design for an upgrade to Laser Component's L5004-IR spectrometer system. The system, which will be delivered to a university in Europe, is designed for use with mid-infrared laser sources such as lead-salt, quantum cascade and quanta-series lasers. . . . Larry Commisso has been named Northeastern regional sales manager for Light Age Inc., a Somerset, N.J.-based developer of alexandrite laser technology for the industrial, scientific and medical markets. He will concentrate on selling Light Age's hair and tattoo removal lasers. . . . High-tech instrument developer Thermo Electron Inc., of Waltham, Mass., was recently awarded three US government contracts totaling $9.5 million. The Coast Guard has ordered $7 million worth of the company's handheld radiation pagers and isotope identifiers, the Air Force has ordered $1.5 million worth of toxic vapor analyzers to detect dangerous gases at it bases, and Bechtel Nevada Corp. has ordered portable radiation detection equipment valued at $1 million.