Chuck Bednar for redOrbit.com – @BednarChuck
A powerful new laser developed by Lockheed Martin is capable of stopping a vehicle from over a mile away – without resorting to lethal force, the company announced earlier this week.
Known as the Advanced Test High Energy Asset (ATHENA), the ground-based, 30-kilowatt prototype fiber laser weapon system successfully disabled the engine of a small truck that was more than one mile way during a recent field test, Lockheed representatives said.
[VIDEO: Navy laser weapons system destroys boat]
The laser completely burned through the engine manifold of a truck mounted on a test platform in a matter of mere seconds, they added. Both the vehicle’s engine and drive train were running during the test in order to properly simulate an operationally-relevant test scenario.
Wasn’t a scene from Die Hard
According to Engadget, rather than causing a big, fancy, Hollywood-type explosion, the laser simply burned a hole that rendered the truck unable to move. The website added that Lockheed seems to think that the weapon will help protect against explosive-laden vehicles being driven in the direction of military bases, infrastructure points or other locations in need of protection.
“Fiber-optic lasers are revolutionizing directed energy systems,” said Keoki Jackson, Lockheed Martin’s chief technology officer, said in a statement. “We are investing in every component of the system – from the optics and beam control to the laser itself – to drive size, weight and power efficiencies. This test represents the next step to providing lightweight and rugged laser weapon systems for military aircraft, helicopters, ships and trucks.”
First there was ADAM
ATHENA is based on Lockheed’s earlier Area Defense Anti-Munitions (ADAM) laser weapon system, which was developed in Sunnyvale, California and designed to target enemy rockets and other small airborne and sea-based threats. The new hardware uses a technique called “spectral beam combining” to point multiple lasers in the same direction, combining them to form a single bean that is extremely powerful and high quality, according to Engadget.
[STORY: US Navy approves invisible laser weapon for USS Ponce]
Last May, Lockheed conducted tests of the ADAM system off the coast of California, using the prototype laser system to disable a pair of boats at a range of approximately one mile. The firm said that they were developing the transportable, ground-based laser to “demonstrate a practical, affordable defense against short-range threats” such as rockets, drones and small boats.
During that test, ADAM’s high-energy laser successfully burned through multiple compartments of the boats’ military-grade rubber hulls in less than 30 seconds. Prior to the May 2014 test, the company had demonstrated the laser’s capabilities against airborne targets in flight, including an unmanned aerial system and several small-caliber rockets, Lockheed said in a statement.
“Our laser weapon initiatives leverage commercial products and processes, focusing on affordability for the user,” Dr. Ray O. Johnson, the company’s senior vice president and chief technology officer, explained at the time. “Lockheed Martin continues to invest in advancing fiber laser and beam control technologies, as these successful ADAM tests demonstrate.”
“Our ADAM system tests have shown that high-energy lasers are ready to begin addressing critical defense needs,” added Tory Bruno, president of Strategic and Missile Defense Systems, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. “Putting revolutionary technologies to work in practical applications is a hallmark of innovation at Lockheed Martin.”
—–
Follow redOrbit on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Instagram and Pinterest.
Comments