As part of the International Armored Vehicles Conference 2024, the Israeli defence company Rafael Advanced Defence System has announced an upgrade to its Trophy Active Protection System (APS) for armoured vehicles.
Specifically, the new version is intended to improve protection against commercially available drones, FPV kamikaze drones and fixed-wing UAVs and also extend the area of effectiveness against threats directly from above. According to Rafael, the upgrade requires “software adaptations and minor hardware changes” and is compatible with existing systems.
The Trophy APS was developed by Rafael Advanced Defence Systems in collaboration with Elta Systems to counter modern anti-tank threats such as ATGM, RPG and other anti-tank weapons. Development began in the 1980s to improve the survivability of armored vehicles in urban and open battlefields.
Trophy is based on four Elta ELM-2133 WindGuard flat antennas with 360-degree coverage around the vehicle. When incoming projectiles, missiles and drones are detected, a trajectory analysis is carried out. A rotating projectile launcher fires Explosively Formed Penetrators (EFP) in a precise pattern to neutralize threats at a safe distance. Multiple threats can be engaged simultaneously from stationary and moving vehicles. More modern versions of the Trophy system can also reload automatically. The system also partially identifies the position of the shooter and enables the tank crew to engage the threat immediately.
Hamas also took aim at the system and distributed an information leaflet in 2023 with instructions on how to overcome the trophy system. Their recommendations: Attacks from less than 50 meters away, high projectile velocity using recoilless guns to reduce reaction time, and multiple shots in quick succession to overload the system.
Trophy APS has been produced in Israel since 2007 and in the USA since 2012. The joint venture EuroTrophy GmbH has also been manufacturing in Germany for the European market since 2022.
The Trophy system is integrated into 17 platforms, including the Israeli Merkava Mark 3 and 4 main battle tanks and the Namer infantry fighting vehicle. In the USA, it is used on M1A2 Abrams, Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and Stryker wheeled armored personnel carriers. Germany is equipping 17 Leopard 2A7 A1s and all 123 Leopard 2A8s with it, while the UK is evaluating the system for the Challenger 3.
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