The High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System (HELLADS), is a Counter-RAM

Counter-RAM

Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar, abbreviated C-RAM or Counter-RAM, is a system used to detect and/or destroyincoming artillery, rockets and mortar rounds in the air before they hit their ground targets, or simply provide early warning....

 system under development that will use a powerful (150 kW) laser

Laser

A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...

 to shoot down missiles, rockets, and artillery

Artillery

Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...

 shells. The initial system will be demonstrated from a static ground based installation, but in order to eventually be integrated on an aircraft, design requirements are maximum weight of 750 kg (1,650 lb) and maximum envelope of 2 cubic meters (70.6 cubic feet).

Development is being funded by The Pentagon

The Pentagon

The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...

's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of new technology for use by the military...

 (DARPA).

History

Liquid lasers that have large cooling systems can fire continuous beams, while solid state laser beams are more intense but must be fired in pulses to stop them from overheating. (However, as long as the heat transfer requirements are met, Solid State lasers may run continuously.) In the past, both types of lasers were very bulky because of their need for these huge cooling systems. The only aircraft in which they could fit were the size of jumbo jets.

Need for such a system was reinforced during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict

2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict

The 2006 Lebanon War, also called the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War and known in Lebanon as the July War #Other uses|Tammūz]]) and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War , was a 34-day military conflict in Lebanon, northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. The principal parties were Hezbollah...

. Israel had participated in similar work in the past by funding the Mobile Tactical High Energy Laser (MTHEL). This system was tested on August 24, 2004, and was found to be effective at neutralizing mortar threats under an actual scenario. However, this test was administered with short, 20 km range missiles.

Development

For the first few years of the program General Atomics

General Atomics

General Atomics is a nuclear physics and defense contractor headquartered in San Diego, California. General Atomics’ research into fission and fusion matured into competencies in related technologies, allowing the company to expand into other fields of research...

 Photonics division was the prime contractor. The design combined the high energy density of a solid-state laser

Solid-state laser

A solid-state laser is a laser that uses a gain medium that is a solid, rather than a liquid such as in dye lasers or a gas as in gas lasers. Semiconductor-based lasers are also in the solid state, but are generally considered as a separate class from solid-state lasers .-Solid-state...

 with the thermal management of a liquid laser

Dye laser

A dye laser is a laser which uses an organic dye as the lasing medium, usually as a liquid solution. Compared to gases and most solid state lasing media, a dye can usually be used for a much wider range of wavelengths. The wide bandwidth makes them particularly suitable for tunable lasers and...

. Dubbed the "HEL weapon", the initial prototype demonstrated firing a mild one kilowatt (kW) beam. Phase 3 of the program in 2007 demonstrated 15 kW power in a laboratory setting, and at the end of 2008 under the General Atomics bid, Lockheed Martin was selected as the weapon system integrator.

In September 2007, DARPA contracted Textron

Textron

Textron is a conglomerate that includes Bell Helicopter, E-Z-GO, Cessna Aircraft Company, and Greenlee, among others. It was founded by Royal Little in 1923 as the Special Yarns Company, and is headquartered at the Textron Tower in Providence, Rhode Island, United States.With total revenues of...

 Systems to supply an alternate laser module using its proprietary “ThinZag” ceramic solid-state technology. Unlike the GA/Lockheed partnership, Textron will also perform the system integration function for their device. DARPA plans a “shoot-off" between the two contenders in 2009 to determine which will be funded to continue the program to further phases.

Phase 4 of the program, involving outdoor testing of a weapon-power laser against tactical targets, was planned for 2010. The more powerful version will produce a 150-kW beam capable of knocking down missiles with the weight and size requirements for fitting onto fighter aircraft

Fighter aircraft

A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...

 or a Humvee. In mid 2008, Janes Defence Review quoted the US Military that the program is on schedule to meet this ground test.