The U.S military will come one step closer to its dream of arming fighter jets with ray guns this summer, as DARPA shifts one of its hottest laser projects onto White Sands Missile range for field tests.

DARPA plans to mount its HELLADS laser on planes, drones, ships and ground vehicles. DARPA

In lab and development tests in which it was pitted against mortars, low-flying missiles and drones, the High Energy Laser Area Defense System (HELLADS) produced “unprecedented power and beam quality for its size,” according to a public statement from Rich Bagnell, HELLADS program manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

…