On November 7, at the Fort Sill training ground (Oklahoma), another American combat laser was tested. The ATHENA complex (Advanced Test High Energy Asset) developed by Lockheed Martin successfully coped with the test task and hit several unmanned aircraft and helicopter-type targets. An important feature of the past tests was the use of all standard communication and control systems that ensure the integration of a combat laser into the general contours of the troops.
Simulated battle
Lockheed Martin has revealed the main features of the recent tests of its combat laser. The purpose of these measures was not only to test the emitter itself and its means in the fight against group targets, but also to test the entire combat complex, which includes various communication and control systems.
The ATHENA laser was placed at the test site and, using standard communication equipment, was connected to an unnamed type of radar. The purpose of the radar was to monitor the air situation and send data to the laser control panel. The ATHENA product, respectively, was responsible for tracking and defeating the issued targets. Thus, a full-fledged air defense laser complex was actually deployed at the test site. The management of the complex was entrusted to the US Air Force.
Several unmanned aerial vehicles-targets of aircraft and helicopter types entered the covered airspace sequentially and at short intervals. Light UAVs imitated enemy raids. The radar of the tested complex detected all these objects and issued data to the command post.
After that, the ATHENA combat laser consistently hit all the detected targets. The system rotated the emitter, aimed it at an airborne object and held the beam on it. After a few seconds of such "illumination", the target structure was destroyed. Immediately after that, there was a retargeting to a new target.
All two types of UAVs are said to have been successfully hit. The past tests have confirmed the ability of the ATHENA combat laser to work as part of a full-fledged air defense complex and to solve the problem of intercepting unmanned aerial vehicles. The possibility of destroying a large number of targets in a minimum time was also shown.
Features of the complex
An experienced ATHENA laser with a characteristic architecture was used in the tests. Some of the equipment was mounted on several trailers. On the roof of one of the containers, there are guidance systems, an emitter and optoelectronic devices for searching for targets. In the future, it is possible to rebuild the complex in order to place it on certain chassis, at stationary objects, etc.
The ATHENA complex is based on a 30-kilowatt ALADIN laser (Accelerated Laser Demonstration Initiative). The ALADIN product includes three 10 kW fiber lasers. With the help of optical systems, the radiation of three lasers is combined into a beam of the required power, directed to the target.
The emitter of this design is installed on a swinging part and on a swivel base. Together with it, an optics unit is mounted on the vertical guidance drives for observation, search and tracking of targets.
The main feature of the ATHENA complex is the ALADIN laser design. It includes three separate lasers, which leads to certain advantages over other similar systems. By using three lasers together or in different combinations, the ATHENA system can deliver a beam with a choice of powers from 10 to 30 kW.
The operator or automatics can select the most efficient laser operating mode that best suits the target type. This increases the flexibility of weapon use, as well as extends component life and reduces operating costs.
Unfortunately, the main part of the tactical and technical characteristics of the ATHENA product has not yet been published. The effective range of "firing" at air and ground targets of various types remains unknown. Also, the required time of exposure to a target of one type or another is not specified, incl. depending on the distance to it.
The laser is controlled from the automated workstations of the operators. The command post can exchange data with other radio equipment and receive data on the air situation. On their basis, data are generated for preliminary guidance of the laser installation. Accurate guidance and tracking are performed using the complex's own optics.
During the tests
ATHENA's recent testing was not the first. Various inspections of the ALADIN laser and other ATHENA components began several years ago. Since 2015, the system has been regularly checked at the landfill and the results of such checks are published. Some of these tests were very interesting and entertaining.
Thus, in the spring of 2015, they showed ATHENA's ability to fight against automotive technology. An unprotected vehicle was set up a mile from the combat laser. A 30-kilowatt beam was directed at the hood. The metal part has heated up and started to melt. Through the burnt hole, the laser began to act on the engine - it soon stopped. Such a test showed the practical capabilities of a combat laser. However, the exact time of impact on the target was not named, which left some questions.
In August 2017, the laser was tested for multiple air targets. During these tests, the ATHENA product hit five Outlaw MQM-170C target drones in a minimum time. The published footage from these tests shows exactly how the destruction of targets was carried out. The laser beam was directed to the tail unit of the target, and after a few seconds it burned out. The UAV without a keel and stabilizer turned into an uncontrolled fall.
The latest tests, carried out a few days ago, confirmed the ATHENA's ability to work as part of the complex and hit group targets. New tests of one kind or another are likely to be carried out in the near future.
Weapon not for combat
In the latest tests, the operation of the ATHENA complex was operated by the US Air Force. In the future, they or their colleagues will have to master new promising laser weapons, incl. developed by Lockheed Martin. At the same time, apparently, the ATHENA product in its current form will not enter service.
As the name of the project suggests, the ATHENA / ALADIN combat laser is being developed on an initiative basis and is intended only for testing and testing new technologies. The finished sample is being developed and tested under the supervision of representatives of the army, who are given the opportunity to assess its prospects.
In the future, an experimental ATHENA model can become the basis for new equipment intended for delivery to the troops and full-fledged operation. Products of this class are considered by the Air Force command as a promising air defense system. Unlike other samples of the traditional appearance, they will provide protection of objects from complex small-sized targets, incl. group.
However, even the approximate timing of the transformation of the experimental ATHENA laser into a full-fledged combat model remains unknown. The corresponding order may appear within the next few years, after which the necessary work will start. However, another development of events is possible, in which ATHENA will remain a purely experimental model.
A large number of combat lasers of various types and for various purposes are currently being developed in the United States. The ATHENA project turns out to be one of many, and it has to face serious competition. The customer can launch its further development and bring it into service, or prefer another project. What will be the final decision of the US Air Force on the ATHENA issue is unclear. However, Lockheed Martin successfully demonstrates all the positive qualities of its development and is quite capable of capturing the interest of the customer.
