Ground-based laser takes out small boats in demonstration
NewsMay 08, 2014
SUNNYVALE, CA. Lockheed Martin engineers tested a prototype laser system -- the Area Defense Anti-Munitions (ADAM) system -- disabling two boats at a range of about 1 mile. These were the system's first tests against maritime targets.
The transportable, ground-based system is being developed to demonstrate a practical, affordable defense against short-range threats, such as Qassam-like rockets, unmanned aerial systems (UASs), and small boats.
In under 30 seconds, the ADAM system’s high-energy laser burned through multiple compartments in the rubber hull of the military-grade small boats that were operating in the ocean. Lockheed Martin engineers previously demonstrated the system’s capabilities for countering representative airborne targets in flight, such as small-caliber rocket targets and an UAS target. The system can precisely track moving targets at a range of more than 3.1 miles, and its 10-kilowatt fiber laser can engage targets as far as 1.2 miles away.
The ADAM design combines commercial hardware components with Lockheed Martin’s laser beam control architecture and software to cost-effectively provide the performance needed for close-in threats, along with an almost unlimited “magazine” at a low cost per engagement.
