Watch a Lockheed Martin Laser Destroy a Missile In Flight

An anonymous reader writes "As well as providing the equipment necessary to fire missiles, defense contractors also want to offer customers the ability to defend against them. Lockheed Martin is doing just that with its Area Defense Anti-Munitions (ADAM) system. ADAM is a high energy laser system mounted on a trailer allowing it to be transported around quickly to help defend high-value targets. It is still in prototype form, but basically uses a 10-kilowatt fiber laser which can be focused on to a moving target up to 2 kilometers away."

Comments

Interesting

[LocutusMIT]

But can it be mounted on a shark?

2 kilometers isn't very far away.

[Picass0]

Considering this a defensive system 2 kilometers means the high velocity threat is nearly on top of what you want to protect. It's 'destruction' is still likely to rain down debris nearby.

Re:2 kilometers isn't very far away.

[gl4ss]

Considering this a defensive system 2 kilometers means the high velocity threat is nearly on top of what you want to protect. It's 'destruction' is still likely to rain down debris nearby.

well.. most missiles aren't kinetic energy weapons.. few broken windows isn't as bad as a warhead exploding inside your building.

Re:2 kilometers isn't very far away.

[Anonymous Coward]

Why does everything always have to be a binary choice? I'd like debris and an explosion.

Re:2 kilometers isn't very far away.

[cfalcon]

"Big giants chunks of debris would be no fun, nor would it be if the missile had radioactive material and destroying it turned it into a dirty bomb."

No, that would be the BEST CASE scenario.

If the missile has radioactive material then:

1)- It is already a dirty bomb. Destroying it minimizes the damage.
2)- IT IS A NUKE. Destroying it saves likely a city.

Neither of these are likely, but you'd rather 1000 dirty bombs than one fissile warhead.

Hmm... I have a question.

[Antony T Curtis]

How long before we start seeing missiles with highly polished chrome finish on the outside?

Re:Hmm... I have a question.

[Brandano]

There's small battery powered ones already...

Re:Hmm... I have a question.

[K. S. Kyosuke]

Given the stresses of launch, how long would such a finish remain highly polished, or at least reflective enough to protect against a laser?

I think you're dealing with a cascade degradation problem anyway. Once a tiny part of the reflective surface loses its reflectivity because the beam melts it, or for whatever reason that can happen, the rocket is done for. There's no problem with laser weapons that can't be solved with the pulse being strong enough and short enough, since you'll never have a 100% reflective surface. Even in experiments with laser-initiated fusion, where the cleanliness and optical properties of the whole system have lab-grade care taken of them, the optical interfaces are a bitch.

Act Now, Supplies Are Limited

[xxxJonBoyxxx]

>> As well as providing the equipment necessary to fire missiles, defense contractors also want to offer customers the ability to defend against them.

Naturally. How else would you extract top dollar from both sides?

Re:home version

[SecurityGuy]

Actually, that's been done.

http://www.ted.com/talks/nathan_myhrvold_could_this_laser_zap_malaria.html

Pretty cool, imo.

Re:Cool

[RobertNotBob]

Sure... but that was implicitly addressed when they discussed the cost of REPEATED use. So this is a Pay (a lot) ONCE, vs a missile (or other ammunition based) system which is Pay (less, but still serious coin) EVERY time you shoot.

It's not so bad when you put it into context.

Re:Just a few seconds to react

[Overzeetop]

A target tracking system for an incoming missile will have a much lower slew rate than the video, where the target is flying perpendicular to the beam. Unless the missile starts doing the Harlem Shake on the way in, it's a sitting duck for a laser adjacent to the target. Also note that the internal tracking system is good to 5km out, so that gives it 10 seconds to lock onto the final trajectory, and it can be tied into a larger tracking system as well.

This is clearly limited to smaller, slower, less sophisticated munitions right now, but I would anticipate larger power as they get better, which means effectiveness further out and quicker kills. Heck, you don't need any laser research to quadruple the power of this laser - just bring in four of them and target the same incoming vehicle.