"Trophy" - Israeli unveils new tank-defense system

Has Israel developed some new system to their Merkava problem, that will promise them success in next war against Lebanon - something is really leaked out now:

On a dusty, wind-swept field overlooking the Mediterranean, a small team of researchers is putting the final touches on what Israel says is a major game changer in tank defense: a miniature anti-missile system that detects incoming projectiles and shoots them down before they reach the armored vehicles.

If successful, the "Trophy" system could radically alter the balance of power if the country goes to war again against Hezbollah guerrillas in neighboring Lebanon or Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. Its performance could also have much wider implications as American troops and their Western allies battle insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"I think people will be watching the Israelis roll this thing out and see if they can get the hang of it," said John Pike, director of the military information Web site GlobalSecurity.org in Alexandria, Virginia. "The future of the United States army is riding on the proposition that something like this can work."

The Trophy is believed to be the first of a series of so-called "active defense" systems to become operational. Such systems aim to neutralize threats before they strike the tank. In the past, tanks have relied on increasingly thick layers of armor or "reactive" technology that weakens an incoming rocket upon impact by setting off a small explosion.

Israeli weapons maker Rafael, the developer of the Trophy, says the system has been in the works for years, but the bitter experience of Israel's 2006 war against Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon gave the project an extra push.

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 monthlong war.

www.freerepublic.com...

I saw a video of a trophy system demo'd for Pentagon brass back in 2007. In itself, the concept is both simple and then, seems too simple... but it did work well enough in '07 to deflect several incoming RPG anti-armor rounds on the test vehicle.

If memory serves, the only reason we didn't buy into it for US vehicles is that the Pentagon had some multi-billion $$$ investment in a Raytheon program that was still over the horizon.

reply to post by JanusFIN


Hi Janus,

I'm not one to claim 'stolen tech' ( i am getting older, etc) but these ideas and technologies have in fact been in use for a number of years in first the SU and then the RF. Since i have not looked at the Israeli version i wont presume anything other than that the Israeli's sort of figured out that passive defenses will get you only so far in build up areas.

en.wikipedia.org...

Thanks and regards,

Stellar

i am very curious how the trophy can be a new system,
been reading about it for ages so how is this new?


www.abovetopsecret.com...
www.abovetopsecret.com...

and so forth?

reply to post by illusive man


In ATS usually new is already old... But it was new for me - "new news about new system" - and really, I do have think many times, how Israel can take risk with their mighty Merkavas against Hezbollah missiles in coming next war.

I think weaponry is always new so long as it has been used first time in Battlefield. This system is still coming - so we still can say its new ? ...

Israel is just rolling out Trophy? Russia has been using Drozd/Shtora/Arena APS since the 70s.

I'll admit it though, Merkava is the toughest (not strongest) tank deployed anywhere.