David J. Barton
Lockheed Martin has unveiled a transportable, 10-kilowatt fiber laser designed for short-range defense against rockets and other unmanned aerial systems.
According to a company statement, the Area Defense Anti-Munitions system can seek out a UAS target within a range of 1.5 to 2 kilometers.
The Bethesda, Md., global security and aerospace company said it has been demonstrating the ground-based military laser“™s capabilities since August.
(Click Here, to read stories from GovCon Wire about the iron dome missile defense system, used extensively in the recent Israel-Hamas conflict.)
“Lockheed Martin has invested in the development of the ADAM system because of the enormous potential effectiveness of high-energy lasers,“ said Doug Graham, Lockheed Martin“™s vice president of advanced programs for strategic and missile defense systems.
The system can be operated independently or in tandem with an external radar cue.
It has a tracking range of up to 5 kilometers, even in cluttered optical environments, the company said.
The proprietary laser beam control architecture is incorporated into the commercial hardware, said Paul Shattuck, director of directed energy systems for Lockheed“™s strategic and missile defense systems.
“Lockheed Martin has applied its expertise as a laser weapon system integrator to provide a practical and affordable defense against serious threats to military forces and installations,“ he added.
