You may have heard of lasers performing an operation, or perhaps building or destroying a machine, but have you ever heard of a laser stopping a truck? Yes we now have a new laser system which can blast its way through a truck positioned at a distance of more a mile.

Lockheed Martin has used its latest laser system ATHENA (Advanced Test High Energy Asset) to immobilize a truck at a distance of more than a mile. ATHENA system includes the 30-kilowatt Accelerated Laser Demonstration Initiative (ALADIN) fiber optic laser. Fiber optic lasers are recent inventions and are used as weapons. The fiber optic lasers use the spectral beam technique which combines multiple fiber optic modules into a single beam. This combined single is more efficient and lethal than several 10-kilowatts lasers.

In recent field test a Ford F-150 truck was positioned at a distance of about 1.6 mile. The engine of the truck was kept on and the truck was places on a raised platform. A burned hole appeared on the bonnet and engine of the truck within seconds as ATHENA laser focused on the truck.

The ATHENA laser system is an advanced version of the Area Defense Anti-Munitions (ADAM) laser weapon system which was also introduced by Lockheed Martin. The Area Defense Anti-Munitions (ADAM) laser weapon system has the credit of disabling two military grade boats at a distance of more than a mile. In its field test the ADAM laser system burned a hole on the rubber hull of the military graded boats within 30 seconds. Now the Area Defense Anti-Munitions (ADAM) laser weapon system is used in airborne and marine defense.

The ATHENA laser system will benefit the military as it can stop the infantry vehicles at a distance. Lockheed Martin is now developing lightweight and durable laser weapons for the military.