Missile ADATS
Summary
| Category | Anti-Tank Missile |
| Sub-type | Anti-tank guided missile |
| Origin country | 🇨🇭 Switzerland 🇺🇸 United States |
| Manufacturer | Oerlikon-Bührle |
Technical specifications
| ADATS | |
|---|---|
| Warhead | High Explosive Anti Tank |
| Warhead Weight | 12 kg |
| Diameter | 152 mm (6.0 in) |
| Length | 2050 mm (80.7 in) |
| Penetration | 900 mm of steel |
| Weight | 51 kg (112 lb) |
Description
The ADATS (Air Defense Anti-Tank System) is a surface-to-air and anti-tank missile system developed in the 1980s through a Canadian and American cooperative program. It was designed to provide both anti-aircraft and anti-armor capabilities in a single advanced system.
The ADATS utilizes radar-guided missiles mounted on an armored fighting vehicle to engage low-flying aircraft such as helicopters and also tanks and ground vehicles. The heart of the system is a pulse-Doppler radar and a turret mounting 8 ready-to-fire missiles that can engage aerial or ground targets.
The ADATS missile is very agile and has an estimated range of up to 6 miles against aerial targets. In the anti-armor role, it has a range of 2.5 miles and can attack the vulnerable upper sections of armored vehicles. The fire control radar allows engaging multiple targets simultaneously.
While not adopted widely beyond its initial cooperators, the ADATS showcased an innovative dual role concept in the late Cold War period. It attempted to blend anti-air and anti-armor capabilities into a single advanced air defense system to counter diverse battlefield threats. The technologies pioneered by ADATS remain applicable to modern multi-role surface-to-air missile systems.