Trophy
Trophy
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The TROPHY Active Protection System (APS) on Abrams M1A2
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A
so-called active protection system-defense tech that can shoot down threats to
tanks and other armored vehicles-will equip a brigade of US Army tanks,
protecting them during a deployment to Europe in 2020. The Israeli-made Trophy
system will be retrofitted on up to 80 M1 Abrams tanks, providing added
protection against modern tank-killing threats.
The
TROPHY is an Active Protection System (APS) developed by Rafael and ELTA
Systems for armored fighting vehicles. The TROPHY protection system rapidly
detects, tracks, classifies, determines the optimal interception point and
finally neutralizes the threat away form the armored vehicle. Neutralization of
the threat can be done using a countermeasure. If the incoming round
poses a danger, the system launches countermeasures to intercept it before it
strikes the tank. The Trophy system launches a number of explosively formed
projectiles (metal sheets deformed by an explosion into a projectile) in a
shotgun-like pattern at the incoming threat weapon. Trophy either detonates the
incoming warhead or knocks the object down.
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Merkava Mk 4m with the Trophy APS
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Thus,
armored fighting vehicles protected by TROPHY get increased survivability. The
protection system itself consists of a search radar with four flat-panel
antennas and several sensors located all together around the armored vehicle.
This way the system provides full hemispherical coverage.
It is
capable of protecting armored vehicles from a wide variety of incoming
anti-tank missile threats such as anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) and
anti-tank rockets (ATRs or RPG). It was designed for integration onto heavy,
medium and lightweight platforms. In addition, the TROPHY has
been certificated for operation against short range threats, operation in urban
terrain area, full performance in all weather conditions, operation against
multiple simultaneous threats, and easy integration in many platforms. The
system also features reduced weight to be integrated into lightweight vehicle
without endangering its performance.
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Rafael's "Trophy" on Namer AFV
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Trophy
is called a "hardkill" system (as opposed to "softkill", a
system that accomplishes its mission by jamming or distracting the threat), and
Trophy offers 360-degree coverage. That's especially useful on main battle
tanks, which concentrate their thickest armor to the front of the tank, leaving
their flanks and rear surfaces vulnerable. Trophy is also effective against
high-angle threats, rockets and missiles aimed from aircraft and helicopters.
It can even engage multiple incoming threats.
Colonel
Glenn Dean, a project manager at the Army's Redstone Arsenal, "I tried to
kill the Abrams tank 48 times and failed."
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