Under a $2 million contract, with options, awarded by Lockheed Martin Corp. of Bethesda, Md., kSaria Corp. of Lawrence, Mass., will advance its automated manufacturing technology for fiber optic cables. Funded by the Penn State Electro-Optics Center, the contract is sponsored by the US Naval Air Systems Command to expand the use of fiber optic technology in aeronautical, shipboard and weapons systems applications.The company intends to reduce operator intervention during production, while improving the quality of the manufacturing process and the performance of the cables. It will upgrade the tooling of its automated platform to ensure a higher level of in-line process control.