High-Energy Liquid Laser (HELLADS), an air-to-ground laser weapon, is ready for live fire tests.
Images credit DARPA
High-Energy Liquid Laser (HELLADS) by DARPA, can provide a solution to surface-to-air threats to manned and unmanned aircraft.
Laser weapon systems harness the speed and power of light to counter multiple threats.
They provide additional capability for offensive missions, by adding precise targeting with low probability of collateral damage.
The goal of the HELLADS program is to develop a 150 kilowatt (kW) laser weapon system that is ten times smaller and lighter than current lasers of similar power, enabling integration onto tactical aircraft to defend against and defeat ground threats. With a weight goal of less than five kilograms per kilowatt, and volume of three cubic meters for the laser system, HELLADS seeks to enable high-energy lasers to be integrated onto tactical aircraft, significantly increasing engagement ranges compared to ground-based systems.
Ground-based field testing of the HELLADS laser is expected to begin in summer 2015 as an effort jointly funded by DARPA and the Air Force Research Laboratory.
source High-Energy Liquid Laser (HELLADS)
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