Rafael Trophy APS: Trophy Active Protection System (APS) developed by Israel’s leading defence company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has been selected for the next phase of detailed assessment and integration by the UK Ministry of Defence for the Army’s Challenger 3 Main Battle Tank (MBT), said the Israeli defence giant.
The selection is a result of a study conducted by the UK MOD as part of an upgrade program led by prime contractor Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL), which will entail detailed integration and system trials of this lighter Trophy variant (Trophy MV), to fit the particular requirements of this vehicle, said the company on Thursday.
Developed by Rafael in response to successful anti-armor attacks, Trophy APS provides protection against rocket and missile threats and simultaneously locates the origin of the hostile fire for immediate response.
“Trophy is the only fully-integrated, combat-proven APS in the world and has been installed on Israel Defense Forces’ Merkava tanks since 2010, and has also been installed on the Namer APCs. Trophy has also been supplied to four US Army Abrams MBT brigades, and will soon be supplied to Germany for its Leopard MBT’s,” Rafael said in a statement sent to Defence Star.
Trophy APS on US Army’s Bradley Fighting Vehicle.
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According to the Israeli defence company, Trophy APS has made a large number of combat interceptions with no injuries to crews or dismounted troops or damage to platforms since its first operational interception in 2011.
The company said its Trophy APS has accrued over 1,000,000 operating hours, including 5,400 successful field tests, and is now under contract for serial production of over 1,800 systems.
“This is a significant programme for Defence, and the British Army and represents a huge shift in the modernisation of our land forces. The pioneering new technology that we are planning to use will allow us to deliver an immense warfighting capability,” said David Farmer, Team Leader for the Challenger 3 delivery team at Defence, Equipment & Support, the procurement arm of the UK MOD.
Rafael’s Trophy APS on US Army’s Abrams MBT.
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Michael Lurie, head of Rafael’s land maneuverability systems directorate, said the Trophy APS has saved the lives of numerous soldiers and has been instrumental in protecting assets on the battlefield and enabling tank crews to maneuver safely under anti-tank fire and perform their missions safely and fully.
Lurie said the UK’s decision to choose Trophy for the protection of its crews, ushers in a new era for its armored forces as well.
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