TEL AVIV, ($1=3.14 Israeli Shekels) – The Israeli Trophy active protection system (APS) integrated on a German tank Leopard 2 of the German ground forces was tested by live fire, BulgarianMilitary.com has learned, citing information from the Israeli company Rafael. The tests took place on January 10-16 and were attended not only by representatives of the two companies Rafael and KWL but also by representatives of the two ministries of defense.
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According to Raphael, the system has proven its capabilities and exceptional capabilities, but more detailed information about the test is not provided. Tests conducted last week mean Raphael wants to expand the market for his APS, and integrating them into German army tanks could help speed up the process. BulgarianMilitary.com reminds you that Germany and Israel have a bilateral agreement that guarantees that German combat armored vehicles will be equipped with Trophy APS.
Trophy APS
The main function of the system is to ensure that the armored vehicle is protected from anti-tank missiles. So far, according to official information from the Israeli company Rafael, Trophy APS has over 1,000,000 working hours and 5,300 live shootings have been carried out, some in combat conditions, some during tests.
In addition to the Israeli armored combat vehicles Merkava 3 & 4 MBTs and Namer APC, the system is integrated on the American Abrams MBT tanks, as well as on the German Leopard 2 and the British Challenger 3.
Trophy APS works by providing an imaginary balloon around the armored vehicle at 360 ° in azimuth through dozens of sensors that detect all known threats of chemical energy (CE) – including recoilless rifles, ATGMs, AT missiles, HEAT tank cartridges, and RPGs. It works in a fairly wide range with simultaneous execution of dozens of tasks, monitoring hazards from all possible positions in 360 ° azimuth.
The system can pre-define an enemy or friendly zone, troops, and weapon systems. It has an integrated system for electronic warfare and modern communication solutions. Trophy APS is suitable for heavily armored combat vehicles and medium-heavy ones.
Trophy APS in battle
The Trophy APS was introduced to the Israeli army in 2009, following a series of tests a few months earlier by Israeli engineers.
The first case in which the Trophy APS proved to be a reliable security system for the combat vehicle was in 2011 in early March. The system then thwarted a missile attack against an Israeli Merkava tank in the region. A few days later, another missile attack on an Israeli tank of the same model challenged the system’s software and computing capabilities. Trophy APS detects the missile fired at the tank but does not intercept it, as the mathematical algorithms integrated into it calculate that the missile will not hit the tank as it does.
In the following years, to this day, based on the Israeli-Gaza conflict, there have been almost every year attempts at missile attacks on tanks with integrated Trophy systems, all of which have failed. Trophy APS even intercepts and destroys a Russian second-generation 9M133 Kornet missile.
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