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2023-10-01

TROPHY APS to Augment Defensive Capabilities of Challenger 3 MBT

RAFAEL recently announced that it won a £20 million contract from the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) for the TROPHY Active Protection System (APS). The contract aims to enhance the defensive capabilities of the Challenger 3 Main Battle Tanks (MBTs).

The UK MOD recognised the TROPHY APS as a crucial addition to safeguarding the Challenger 3 MBTs and its crew members against modern battlefield threats after rigorous evaluation. The APS has a proven track record of success, having been operational and combat-proven in various scenarios worldwide. The system provides minimum risk to dismounted soldiers and civilians and is safety-certified by the Israel Defence Force (IDF) and the U.S. Army. This allows ground units to rapidly advance and strike, ensuring their safety, allowing mission completion and uninterrupted combat continuity.

In collaboration with the UK MOD, RAFAEL recently completed the second phase of integrating the TROPHY APS on the Challenger 3 (CR3). A series of live fire tests, conducted towards the end of 2022, demonstrated the system’s effectiveness as it intercepted well over 90 per cent of threats targeting the CR3 representative tank fitted with TROPHY APS.

RAFAEL continues to collaborate with the UK MOD on a wide array of projects and defence technologies. At DSEI 2023, RAFAEL showcased TROPHY APS in the UK and is confident the system will further strengthen the capabilities of the Challenger 3 MBTs. The company also highlighted the unique defence systems that can enhance survivability and bolster the overall defence of the British Armed Forces. As the global pioneer of APS technology, RAFAEL is at the forefront of innovation, continuously refining the TROPHY system to address evolving threats effectively.

Combat-proven Protection

TROPHY APS, developed by RAFAEL in response to successful anti-armour attacks, provides mature, combat-proven protection against rocket and missile threats while pinpointing the origin of hostile fire for immediate response. It enables exceptional manoeuvrability for forces in the field. As a fully-integrated, combat-proven APS, TROPHY has been installed on Israel Defence Forces’ Merkava tanks since 2010, Namer APCs, four U.S. Army Abrams MBT brigades, and successfully tested on the German Leopard 2 Tank in 2021.

The system has also been integrated on various platforms, including AIO turrets for the IFV and 8x8 armoured vehicles without a turret. With over 2,000,000 operating hours and more than 5,400 successful field tests, TROPHY is under contract for serial production of over 2,000 systems.

Dr. Ran Gozali, Executive Vice President, GM Land & Naval Division at Rafael Advanced Defence Systems, said: “We are encouraged by the latest tests, praising TROPHY’s effectiveness and RAFAEL’s proficiency in integrating the system on yet another platform. The collaboration with the UK MOD is set to continue, propelling further successes in the future as the project heads towards its third and final phase of integration, instilling greater confidence in TROPHY’s ability to ensure fortified defence for the UK and its troops.”.

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