A laboratory has been opened in California by Lockheed Martin to develop next-generation target seekers for interceptor missiles.

A seeker, no bigger than a loaf of bread, is the part of the interceptor that directly strikes an incoming missile. It locates and tracks the enemy warhead, sending trajectory data to an interceptor's onboard guidance system, which in turn steers the kill vehicle to the target.

"The technology we will develop and demonstrate in this laboratory is important because a seeker is the on-board eyes for a missile defense interceptor, and it must perform with perfect '20/20 vision' in the final moments before interception," said Doug Graham, vice president of missile systems and advanced programs, Lockheed Martin Space Systems. "This facility is part of Lockheed Martin's commitment to research, development and innovation to advance technologies for missile defense."

The facility is located in Sunnyvale, heart of California's Silicon Valley.