由美国政府发起的激光研究与发展在这方面的总费用中仍占相当大的比重,但其所占份额正在减少。1984年激光系统销售额可望增加30%,达40亿美元,而政府制定的五项最大可确定激光计划预算只增加9.3%(见图1)。里根政府提出的85财年预算中将把这项增长削减到5.4%,尽管政府最庞大的一项研究计划——激光武器研究费用将增加30%。然而,1986财年使定向释能武器预算增加到10亿美元以上的计划可使政府的研究市场剧增,如果里根政府面对尖锐的批评能使人们接受这种主张。 Laser research and development, initiated by the United States government, still represents a significant share of the total cost in this area, but its share is declining. Laser system sales in 1984 are expected to increase by 30% to $ 4 billion, while the government’s five-largest laser program budget is set to increase by only 9.3% (see Figure 1). The Reagan administration’s proposed budget for fiscal year 85 will cut that growth to 5.4% despite a 30% increase in laser weapons research costs, one of the government’s largest research programs. However, plans to increase the budget for directed energy weapons to more than $ 1 billion in fiscal 1986 led to a sharp increase in the government’s research market, which could be accepted if the Reagan administration faced sharp criticism.