美國(guó)國(guó)防部與General Atomics航空系統(tǒng)部簽署了一份價(jià)值3980萬美元的訂單，進(jìn)一步研發(fā)大功率激光武器；其最終目標(biāo)是希望將該系統(tǒng)集成到其戰(zhàn)術(shù)飛機(jī)的設(shè)計(jì)中。

　　高能液態(tài)激光領(lǐng)域防御系統(tǒng)（HELLADS）項(xiàng)目在美國(guó)國(guó)防部高級(jí)研究計(jì)劃局（DARPA）的資助下，工作已經(jīng)開展了幾年；現(xiàn)在該項(xiàng)目眼看已經(jīng)接近目標(biāo)值150KW的輸出量。

　　根據(jù)DARPA財(cái)政年2012預(yù)算文件來看，150KW的示范工程項(xiàng)目已經(jīng)于去年完成；其中有兩個(gè)單元模塊設(shè)計(jì)的輸出功率超過了34KW?；谶@些單元結(jié)果，下一個(gè)關(guān)鍵步驟就是生產(chǎn)更多的激光器模塊并將達(dá)到150KW的目標(biāo)輸出量。

　　在最近的合約中，General Atomics航空系統(tǒng)部將完成該150KW的目標(biāo)設(shè)計(jì)；還包括主要在其美國(guó)加州總部的電池和熱管理系統(tǒng)的設(shè)計(jì)。在美國(guó)國(guó)防部（DoD）一則簡(jiǎn)要通報(bào)中指出，該項(xiàng)目中的一些重要工作還將在圖森、亞利桑那州、阿爾布開克以及美國(guó)新墨西哥州的總部進(jìn)行。

　　HELLADS系統(tǒng)最關(guān)鍵的一個(gè)要求是極大的減少典型高能激光武器的重量；最終目標(biāo)是使得150KW系統(tǒng)的重量不超過750千克。與現(xiàn)有的化學(xué)激光器系統(tǒng)相比，HELLADS系統(tǒng)將會(huì)是一個(gè)數(shù)量級(jí)的變更；現(xiàn)有的化學(xué)激光器系統(tǒng)效率雖然很高，但是其笨重的體積對(duì)于任何移動(dòng)部署來說都是很艱難的。

　　達(dá)信公司的100KW設(shè)計(jì)項(xiàng)目

　　在2008年后期，DARPA也與達(dá)信公司防御系統(tǒng)部簽署了一份價(jià)值2100萬美元的合約，為HELLADS研發(fā)單元模塊---這個(gè)設(shè)計(jì)項(xiàng)目是否也將被納入150KW能量項(xiàng)目中尚未透露。達(dá)信公司此次的設(shè)計(jì)項(xiàng)目是基于其新型ThinZag陶瓷二極管泵浦固態(tài)激光器專利而進(jìn)行的；該新型ThinZag激光器是一個(gè)使用了薄片結(jié)構(gòu)的單孔徑激勵(lì)振蕩器系統(tǒng)。

　　達(dá)信公司在去年就指出，他們已經(jīng)能夠在實(shí)驗(yàn)室研發(fā)出平均功率超過100KW的系統(tǒng)；這也是Joint Technology Office的聯(lián)合高功率固態(tài)激光器（JHPSSL）項(xiàng)目的一部分。

　　對(duì)于合約商來說，由于高效激光器系統(tǒng)釋放出的大量熱量，使得輸出功率在一定量時(shí)間內(nèi)保持一定的數(shù)值，是一個(gè)主要的挑戰(zhàn)?；贘HPSSL項(xiàng)目，諾斯羅普·格魯曼也與去年12月指出，其100KW激光器已經(jīng)持續(xù)運(yùn)行了6小時(shí)---相信是這種高功率系統(tǒng)在運(yùn)行中持續(xù)最長(zhǎng)時(shí)間的一個(gè)。

　　隨著各種控制和冷卻系統(tǒng)融合的要求，HELLADS示范項(xiàng)目將通過測(cè)試，來證明其擊落地對(duì)空導(dǎo)彈和火箭的能力。

　　HELLADS是經(jīng)過DARPA的戰(zhàn)略技術(shù)辦公室進(jìn)行管理的；而前美國(guó)空軍官員Richard Bagnell則擔(dān)任該辦公室項(xiàng)目經(jīng)理。
原文如下：

　　The US Department of Defense has awarded General Atomics’ Aeronautical Systems pision a $39.8 million contract to further develop a high-power laser weapon， with the ultimate goal of integrating the system within tactical aircraft.

　　The High-Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense Systems （HELLADS） program has been under development through funding from the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency （DARPA） for several years， and now appears close to reaching its target output of 150 kW.

　　According to DARPA’s fiscal year 2012 budget estimate document， the detailed design of a ground-based 150 kW demonstrator was completed last year， while two unit cell module designs have shown an output power exceeding 34 kW. Based on those unit cell results， the next key step is to produce additional laser modules and connect them to deliver the targeted 150 kW output.

　　Under the latest contract award， General Atomics Aeronautical Systems will aim to complete the 150 kW design， along with battery and thermal management systems， mostly at its Poway， California， headquarters. Significant chunks of the project work will also be completed in Tucson， Arizona and Albuquerque， New Mexico， according to the DoD’s brief announcement.

　　One of the key requirements of the HELLADS system is to dramatically reduce the weight of typical high-energy laser weapons， and the eventual goal is for the 150 kW system to weigh no more than 750 kg. That would represent an order-of-magnitude reduction compared with existing chemical laser systems that， while effective， are considered too bulky and awkward for any kind of mobile deployment.

　　In late 2008， DARPA had awarded a contract worth up to $21 million to Textron Defense Systems to design a unit cell module for HELLADS – although it is not clear whether this design will also be selected for power scaling to the 150 kW target. Textron’s design was based upon its proprietary “ThinZag” ceramic diode-pumped solid-state laser， a single-aperture power oscillator system using a thin-disk architecture.

　　Last year， Textron said that it had demonstrated an average output power in excess of 100 kW in its laboratories， as part of the Joint Technology Office’s Joint High-Power Solid-State Laser （JHPSSL） program.

　　Because of the intense heat generated by even very efficient laser systems， maintaining the output power for any significant amount of time has been one of the main challenges for the contractors. Also working under the JHPSSL program， Northrop Grumman said last December that its 100 kW laser had operated for six hours - believed to be the longest period of operation yet seen for such a high-power system.

　　Following integration with the various control and cooling systems required， the ground-based demonstrator version of HELLADS will be tested for its ability to shoot down targets such as surface-to-air missiles and rockets.

　　HELLADS is managed through DARPA’s Strategic Technology Office， with former US Air Force officer Richard Bagnell acting as program manager.