ZEUS-HMMWV Laser Ordnance Neutralization System
The ZEUS-HMMWV Laser Ordnance Neutralization System (short: ZEUS or ZEUS-HLONS ) is a device for disposing of ordnance in war zones. It is also used for the safe and rapid demolition of landmines laid above ground and is the successor system to the Mobile Ordnance Disrupter System (MODS).
The metal shell of the ammunition to be destroyed is heated by means of a 10 kW solid laser mounted on an armored HMMWV , which leads to a slow combustion of the explosives and a relatively weak explosion . The maximum range of the laser is 300 meters.
The system has already been tested in serious use. In 2003 it was brought to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan , where it was used for 6 months to dispose of over 200 duds and old ammunition. The high effectiveness was underlined when 51 projectiles were destroyed within 100 minutes. In 2005 it was relocated to Iraq .
The ZEUS is able to save positions of munitions and then destroy them in a programmed sequence. It has a color video camera and a visible aiming laser which enable the crew to align the main laser using a joystick . The energy is supplied via a diesel generator.
See also
Web links
- ZEUS Home Page - Sparta Inc. ( Memento from November 13, 2006 in the Internet Archive )