A maximum-likelihood procedure, in conjunction with a point-source emitter assumption, is used to estimate the directions of arrival of multiple signals at an antenna; followed by direct calculation of beamweighting coefficients, which will receive one source while steering nulls to all other sources. Estimation of element-sensitivity error is also undertaken, and the beam coefficients are compensated to reduce sensitivity to such unknown variables. The result is a robust, adaptive algorithm, which behaves optimally in coherent or incoherent interference situations even when the desired signal direction is not known apriori, and which is able to operate with less data samples than least-squares methods.