There is no chance that armoured vehicles will last without an active protection strategy on the modern battlefield," says Stas Aideman, manager of Marketing and improvement at Rafael. The Israeli maker presented his Trophy strategy at the global Defence manufacture Salon in Kielce. The company besides signed a key agreement with Hyundai Rot from the Polish perspective.
Trophy is an active vehicle protection strategy (APS) that detects, identifies and neutralizes incoming hazards, specified as various types of missiles or Unmanned. This importantly increases the endurance of tanks and another combat vehicles. The strategy consists of radar antennas placed on the vehicle, which continuously observe the environment and detect possible hazards. As the enemy rocket approaches, Trophy automatically activates the effectsors that neutralize it at a safe distance. The strategy launcher is equipped with a charging machine, so it can respond to respective attacks simultaneously. This is simply a 360-degree protection, meaning that a safe region is created around the vehicle – not only for the tank itself, but besides for its immediate surroundings.
– If I were to call this strategy different, I would choose the word "survivability" – survival. This is his most crucial goal – emphasises Stas Aideman. – In the past, another tank was needed to destruct the tank. And it wasn't an easy task. present there are many more threats, they are constantly developing, and the car without adequate layers of protection becomes an easy mark – explains Rafael's representative. As he adds, Trophy is tasked not only to defend the vehicle and guarantee the safety of its crew, but besides to guarantee that soldiers can full focus on their mission and conducting maneuvers, without having to distract attention to threat analysis.
Tank hunting
The importance of active protection was well shown by the war in Ukraine. Even the most modern tanks supplied by the West were effectively destroyed by Russian anti-tank missiles. However, this is not the only danger that exists in the modern battlefield. “The tanks have become a precedence target, so in the Trophy strategy we have implemented solutions to combat unmanned vehicles. We were based on experiences from Ukraine – says Aideman. He adds that Rafael's doctrine is always to be 1 step ahead of his opponent. Hence the continuous improvement and modernization of the system.
The list of upcoming plans includes the introduction of a fresh kind of effector. – We are working on the interceptor drone and are planning to show it next year. This will be another layer strengthening our multi-layered protection strategy – said Aideman. Drones of this kind do not destruct enemy machines, but capture them in the air and safely bring them to the ground.
Trophy for K2PL
During MSPO in Kielce, Rafael and South Korean company Hyundai Rotem signed a strategical cooperation agreement. It includes integration, production and life-cycle support of the Trophy system, which will be installed on K2 base tanks – both in the version utilized by the Republic of Korea and in Polish variety K2PL.
This is the first case erstwhile the South Korean armor platform is equipped with specified an advanced active protection system. From the point of view of Poland, this is simply a fundamental change – so far the tanks utilized by the Polish Army did not have specified solutions.
