Fridge-sized war raygun for US bombers gets $40m
24th June 2011
In a federal announcement issued on Tuesday, famous crazytech company General Atomics was awarded a $39,833,499 contract for “High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System (HELLADS) Phase 4, Demonstration Laser Weapon System”.
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DARPA wants the HELLADS programme to produce a directed-energy weapon of war-grade power (say 150 kilowatts) and weighing no more than 750kg, light enough to put onto a US combat jet. Existing lasers are so heavy that they require at least a cargo plane or a monster jumbo to carry them.