| ADATS | |
|---|---|
 ADATS on display for the 2008Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo | |
| Type | Self-propelledanti-aircraft andanti-tank missile system |
| Place of origin | Switzerland /United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1989–2012 |
| Used by | Canada Thailand |
| Production history | |
| No. built |
|
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 15.8 tonnes |
| Length | 4.86 m |
| Width | 2.69 m |
| Crew | 3 (commander, driver, system operator) |
| Armor | 12–38 mmaluminium |
Main armament | 8 ADATS missiles |
Secondary armament | M242 Bushmaster 25 mm cannon (US evaluation version only) |
| Engine | 6-cylindertwo-strokedieselGeneral Motors/Detroit Diesel6V53 212 hp (158 kW) |
| Power/weight | 13 hp/tonne |
| Suspension | torsion-bar |
Operational range | 400 km |
| Maximum speed | 58 km/h (36 mph)[1] |
TheAir Defense Anti-Tank System (US designationMIM-146 ADATS) byOerlikon/Martin Marietta is a dual-purposeshort rangesurface-to-air andanti-tank missile system based on theM113A2 vehicle. The ADATS missile is alaser-guidedsupersonic missile with a range of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), with anelectro-optical sensor with TV andforward looking infrared (FLIR). The carrying vehicle also has a search radar with an effective range of over 25 kilometers (16 miles).
The first firing of an ADATS missile occurred in June 1981. Canada was the launch customer for the system with 36 units on theM113 chassis ordered for theCanadian Army in 1986. The system was further developed and produced at a new facility inQuébec. TheUS Army also selected ADATS installed on theM3 Bradley chassis but by the time it was ready for service the ending of theCold War led the US Army to cancel its orders, after Oerlikon invested overCHF 1 billion in the project.[2] A small number of vehicles, many of them the developmental prototypes, entered service with the Canadian Army.
The ADATS was trialed or proposed on a variety of different platforms to suit the needs of the user for the defense of mobile field formations or fixed sites such as airfields. Besides the M113A2 tracked vehicle chosen by Canada, the ADATS was also installed on the M3 Bradley chassis for the US Army and the SwissMOWAG Shark 8x8 vehicle, and proposed for the BritishWarrior MICV chassis. A shelter-mounted version either with on-mount radar for autonomous use, or without radar for coordination with a central fire control center could be mounted on a 4x4 or 6x6 military truck or installed in fixed locations. This version was purchased by Thailand. A version mounted on the four-wheel trailer used for the Oerlikon Contraves Skyguard fire control system and without radar, probably intended for integration with Skyguard andOerlikon GDF 35 mm guns, was also proposed.
There was also a proposed naval version called "Sea Sprint", using the standard eight-missile turret without the radar, proposed for the close-in anti-air and anti-missile self-defense role.
Oerlikon also suggested a dedicated anti-tank system without the radar, including a version mounted on a long articulating arm that could be elevated high above the vehicle to clear trees or terrain while the launch vehicle remained hidden.
The ADATS entered service with theCanadian Army (in 1989[3]) as a mobile, M113-based system.
The first systems were deployed as part of Canada'sNATO contribution in West-Germany. Thirty-six systems were delivered by 1994.[4] The cost of the system was initially $650 million. Over the life of the project, total cost reached $1.1 billion.[5]
After their return from Germany, Canadian ADATS systems were only operationally deployed once: In June 2002, they were used to defend the airspace of theG8 summit held in Kananaskis, Alberta. Canadian ADATS were never operationally deployed inBosnia orAfghanistan.[5]As of 31 March 2011,[6] the ADATS has been withdrawn from Canadian service with no planned replacement announced.[5][7]
Canadian acquisition of the ADATS system was marred by a scandal relating to the purchase of the land where assembly of the system was to take place. The property had been bought and sold several times over a short period of time and its price inflated before it was sold to Oerlikon. It led to the resignation of Minister of State for TransportAndré Bissonnette who had been directly involved in the land deal, and several criminal accusations.[8]
The ADATS cropped up from an extensive competition during which it was selected by theU.S. Army for the forward area air-defense (FAAD)[10] program under the designationMIM-146 for the missile. The US Army planned to purchase 387 systems.[5] Test results indicated that the system did not perform well in inclement weather. Ultimately the FAAD contract was cancelled in the early 1990s after the end of the Cold War.
TheRoyal Thai Air Force acquired one static shelter-based system from Oerlikon Canada, linked to aSkyguard fire control system.[4][unreliable source?][11]
In the late 1990s, Canada offered their surplus ADATS systems to theGreek military as part of a low-level air defense program.[12] The offer was considered but not accepted. Greece eventually purchased the RussianTor missile system.
In September 2005, theCanadian government and theCanadian Forces announced a modernization program, transforming the ADATS and associated command, control and communications systems into amulti-mission effects vehicle (MMEV). The MMEV was to retain and enhance ADATS anti-aircraft and anti-armor capability (85% or better engagement success rate) to meet new threats, provideindirect fire support to ground troops, and would be mounted on anLAV III wheeled armoured vehicle.
It was to be fitted with a3D radar, non-line-of-sight missile (usingunmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to gather required intelligence and target location at a range of 8 km or more) and low-cost precision kill (LCPK) missile (fireable on direct shot at a >8 km range), based on a 2.75-inch rocket and advanced battle management command and control communication computer and information (BMC41), includinglink 11/16, to provideintelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR).In July 2006, Canadian Forces land staff recommended the cancellation of the MMEV project.[13] The program was cancelled in November 2006.
The ADATS was withdrawn from Canadian service in 2012.[14]
