Attalon is putting nearly $13 million into its Murrieta sapphire manufacturing operation, expanding domestic production of a material used in military aircraft and surveillance systems.

The Philadelphia-based aerospace and defense company announced the investment Sept. 29, saying it will increase manufacturing throughput, improve production readiness and expand technical capabilities at the facility. The move comes as defense contractors require greater quantities of high-performance optical components, according to the company.

Synthetic sapphire is used in electro-optical and infrared systems because it combines optical performance with mechanical durability. Those properties make it suitable for sensing, targeting and surveillance in programs like the F-35 fighter aircraft.

The material is tough. Its resistance to harsh environmental conditions makes it a fit for windows and other optical applications where precision and reliability are critical, according to the company's press release.

"Sapphire is an enabling technology behind some of today's most demanding defense systems, and ensuring we have the domestic capacity to produce it at scale is increasingly important," John Bergeron, Attalon's chief executive officer, said in the announcement.

The expansion builds on more than seven years of government and private-sector investment aimed at establishing Murrieta as a domestic source for defense-grade sapphire. Rep. Ken Calvert, who represents Murrieta and chairs the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, played a role in securing earlier federal funding for the facility's manufacturing infrastructure, according to the press release.

That earlier federal support helped develop the Murrieta plant's production capabilities and technical expertise, including work tied to the F-35 program.

Anthony McBride, Attalon's vice president and general manager of precision optics, said the Murrieta team has built deep expertise in sapphire manufacturing. He said the investment will allow the company to expand the capabilities and infrastructure needed to increase throughput while maintaining precision and consistency.

Attalon, which manufactures defense optics and laser systems, employs more than 500 people across the United States.

The company did not disclose how many jobs the Murrieta expansion will create, how much sapphire production capacity will increase or when the expanded capabilities will be fully operational, as citybiz noted in its coverage of the announcement.

The investment is part of a broader company strategy to expand U.S. manufacturing capacity for defense-related technologies, including precision optics, directed energy and thermal systems.