The Israeli military says that it’s Trophy active protection system, designed to shoot down incoming RPGs and anti-tank missiles, is ready for deployment, according to this AP story. Trophy is expected to be fitted to the Israeli Defense Forces large fleet of Merkava series main battle tanks and some models of heavy armored personnel carriers such as the Namer (based on the Merkava chassis).
The story quotes officials from Trophy manufacturer Rafael that the system has “passed” more than 700 live fire tests and has been installed on a number of Merkava 4 tanks in a pilot program. Of course, here is a story from way back in 2007 saying Trophy was ready for deployment.
The AP story gets a little carried away, quoting Israeli officials who say Trophy is a “game changer” in tank defense and could radically alter the balance of power if the IDF faces Lebanese Hezbollah’s vast anti-tank missile arsenal. That’s a big claim for any active protection system, but particularly this one that has been long in development and long on promises, that is not combat proven.
Developers say the Trophy can stop any anti-tank rocket in the formidable Hezbollah arsenal, which struck dozens of Israeli tanks and killed at least 19 Israeli tank crewmen during their month-long war. “We can cope with any threat in our neighborhood, and more,” said Gil, the Trophy’s program manager at Rafael.
That Trophy, and other active protection systems in development, can intercept and disrupt an incoming RPG warhead I don’t doubt. However, stopping a heavy anti-tank guided missile along the lines of a TOW or the Russian Kornet, well, I’ll believe it when I see it.
– Greg
{ 32 comments… read them below or add one }
How long is it going to be before we just rapid fire missiles at tanks and aircraft in order to overwhelm their defense systems? This is a game changer in the same way that the first tanks there game changers. There is a little time right after you introduce them that gives you an advantage but quickly systems will be developer to counter them. The Brits 'invented' the tank but it was not long before they where totally out classes by enemy tanks. This system might stop a incoming round but it will not be long before the battlefield looks like an Japanese anime with dozens of missiles fired at each target attacked.
no need for a swarm of missiles, just one Metal Storm is enough.
honey badgers a mean bitch
LOL!!
There is a reason why RPG's are used against tanks, they are cheap and effective. If the armored counter measure starts including things like counter measures, and the ability to fire multiple rounds at once, our enemies will run out of dough and trained personnel real quick.
Said exactly what I was about to say! APS is a one-two KO punch! Protects vehicles, and makes it expensive for enemies to destroy a vehicle.
You have so passionately executed greative people so long now this must be the cost.
What happens in schools is the most important.
Men are the ones that will NEWER submit and just when the pack releases them there will be action.
You got the good guys pre-emtively shot by cops.
Now women newer have long steady sex or know what good orgasm is.
Understanding WAS the thing that should be in leadership.
You wont get that without logics komission where by starting point individual who makes the better logics makes the law. Was it good for pedophiles or lethal for rapists.
Outsanding start in technology makes you superior to no one.. :) :)
WTF are you babbling about? Type English… most here don't read gibberish.
Thats why Iran alone wont beat us without educating every anti goverment dude in the art of mass murder.
And quess what they then get if they havent educated their folks by then.
The truth lies pretty much between Russian, American and Japanese cultures but it doesnt say anyone couldnt migitate into it if their leaders just have enough understanding and sense of self conservation.. :) :)
Does anyone understand Willy?
willy is another teenager smoking weed
From a practical perspective, even a modest success rate, say 35%-65%, at a low system weight, compared to "stupid" armor, is still a major improvement.
I suppose it'll eventually be a matter of designing decoys that confuse Trophy or overwhelm the system. Who knows? Let the OPFOR throw the book at it, and something is likely to stick. I'm sure IEDs will remain a viable threat for the time being.
I know ZERO about Trophy, but I know enough about high tech versus abundant low tech to surmise Hezbollah can likely throw a dozen or more jihadi’s with RPG’s at EACH Israeli tank. Just like throwing enough missiles at a jet until it runs out of flares a
I know ZERO about Trophy, but I know enough about high tech versus abundant low tech to surmise Hezbollah can likely throw a dozen or more jihadi’s with RPG’s at EACH Israeli tank. Just like throwing enough missiles at a jet until it runs out of flares and/or chaff can succeed, seems to me throw enough RPG’s at these tanks and you defeat Trophy eventually, and the jihadi’s seem to have an almost endless supply.
Well, consider the source, and everything, but the Russians claim that Kornet will defeat ANY of the Active Protection Systems discussed so far…
And when the s**t hits the fan, you discover that the battery has died and you don't have jumper cables.
For me the major draw back of this "experiment" is the concept of an automated incredibly fast system for launching explosive shells out into the path of other explosive shells with the obvious desired result. What happens to your infantry screen !?! (friendly vheiclescivilianscollatorol). we now have at least twice as much shraplen in the air at undetermined locations without warning and moving very very fast. And thats assuming a first time hit. Can you imagine what would happen if you stuck a Phalanx in the center of Bagdad then shot a few of rockets at it !!!!! you wouldnt have much town center left !
Asside from that minor draw back, used in the right way. i think its a great idea. HOPEFULLY a game changer. We cant just keep up-armoring year on year till were all driving solid cubes of steal with a periscope now can we.
The Phalanx has automatically self-destructing shells. It is actually possible to locate it in the middle of a city.
The idea obviously is to ensure that your own people don't walk beside where the RPG is likely to be coming from (side of vehicle).
The whole point of infantry walking alongside such a vehicle is to provide a level of protection against RPG's. If you install this systems, techincally you don't need to have troops walking alongside if you don't wish to. They would thus only be there as a reactionary element to an attack.
Thats a great answer.Thanks
(Facinating about the Phalanx BTW I didnt know that :)
Well, I'm always in favor of new technology. Whether Trophy will work, we don't know.
I'm not particularly worried about the enemy simply launching 3 or 4 missiles at each tank in order to counter Trophy. That idea might work if you are fighting in the perfect terrain, where there are multiple locations to hide and you have the tank surrounded. But in the real world, there aren't always enough places to hide to pull off an ambush like that, and perfect coordination is difficult. It makes planning and executing a successful attack much more difficult. It requires several times the manpower and resources. If you've got a thousand RPG teams, Trophy turns that from 1000 possible attacks into 500, or 333 possible attacks. It makes your tanks safer overall, even if the system never fires.
Now, I do worry about opening up with a computer-fired cannon in the middle of a city. So your tank is driving down a street with civilians on it, and Achmed opens up with an RPG. Trophy turns and automatically engages it, firing a giant shotgun straight through a crowd. Not good publicity, even if it's Achmed's fault.
In the future I see APS being more "smart", possibly lasing the target, then shooting rounds off at it in order to avoid spraying a crowd with a "giant shotgun". Or perhaps as lasers mature, and better, smaller, and longer lasting power systems come on line will it shoot lasers to destroy the target.
Oh absolutely. I'm positive on this system as a whole, and think it could develop into something very useful. I just think the 1st generation will probably have some bugs in it.
What about adding reactive armor with the Trophy system to counter the multiple RPG threat.
I dont know what the Merkava has for armor, Chobham ??
I hope this technology is ready to deploy now, this can potentially save lots of soldiers lives, and if some collateral damage is inflicted so be it.
Would be nice to have a heavy, solid state laser armed vehicle with IR and radar travelling with tanks to provide additional protection for them out in the open. Science fictiony but may be an option in the not too distant future.
Also, is an RPG a threat to an MBT such as Merkava in any way?
Just check this out:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RPG-30
Trophy is a game changer if it gives even a second's pause to the Hizbollah terrorist shouldering the RPG and it also gives your tanker time to fire back with the mounted machine guns or for his infantry/ air support to respond.
Now then Rafael can we port this to armed aerial platforms or create a town sized bubble to prevent villages/ towns in Israel from missile bombardment?
How would this enhance the Israeli "Iron Shield" project? What would the implications be for strategic balance of power?
It has taken us too long to get our own active defense systems on line. We should continue development of those, but in the meanwhile buy working systems like Trophy.
Many thanks for sharing this post, it was useful.
I was highly encouraged to locate the site. The reason being that it is type of beneficial content. I needed to thank most people to do this effective go through from the subject. My partner and i dined every bit than it when i registered your online site to many of the most popular social support systems hence some others will discover your website.