The United States Government, chaired by Barack Obama, has given the green light to the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) project to begin field testing of its liquid laser defense system of high energy, known as HELLADS .
The go-ahead from the US government marks the beginning of a challenging new phase of testing to be carried out at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico (USA). "The technical hurdles were daunting, but it is very gratifying to have produced a new type of solid-state laser with unprecedented power and great beam quality for its size, " explains Rich Bagnell, project leader.
The project, jointly developed by General Atomics and DARPA, is based on the creation of a solid-state laser that is electrically driven. Unlike previous lasers, HELLADS has much more power and is also very small in size and weight .
The laser, according to the scientists, has shown to have enough power and its beam quality enough to test this project outside the laboratory. The tests will consist of "some of the toughest tactical threats our fighters face," Bagnell clarifies.
Rehearsals will begin this summer; Once the tests have been carried out, the objective of the mission will be to make this system available to the Air Forces of the US government .
