Looks like Rafael is rolling out the "Trophy" system for tank defense.
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.
Shades of Hammer's Slammers
The Slammers have few standard-issue weapons other than powerguns. Slammers infantry troops use grenades of various types in addition to their powerguns. They also use semi-automatic grenade launchers. Slammers combat vehicles use built-in directional mines as both antipersonnel and antimissile devices. The hovertanks are equipped with explosive net launchers that are used for mine clearance, and there are individual minefield clearance launchers that can be mounted as special equipment on the combat cars for specific missions.
By: Brant
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