Trophy Active Defense System (ADS) is marketed by General
dynamics, based on a system designed in Israel by an industry
consortium headed by RAFAEL, including IMI and IAI/ELTA.

After
evaluating several systems available in the world market, General
Dynamics selected the system for further improvement and is offering
a version of the system to the US
Army and other customers. GD plans to introduce the system with every new and existing
combat vehicle it produces, including Stryker, M-1A2 and FCS.
According to GD officials, the system can be adapted to US requirements and
enter production within two years. The system has completed
hundreds of live test with the Israel Defense Forces and
demonstrated effective neutralization of anti-tank rockets and
guided missiles, high safety levels, insignificant residual
penetration and minimal collateral damage. The system is in full
scale engineering phase for inclusion on Merkava Mk. 4 tanks and
the future light armored vehicle (Stryker).

The
Trophy active protection system creates something equivalent to a
hemispheric "force field" around the protected vehicle. It has three elements providing – Threat Detection and
Tracking, Launching and Intercept functions. The Threat Detection
and Warning subsystem consists of several sensors, including
flat-panel radars, placed at strategic locations around the
protected vehicle, to provide full hemispherical coverage. Once an
incoming threat is detected identified and verified, the Countermeasure
Assembly is opened, the countermeasure device is positioned in the
direction where it can effectively intercept the threat. Then, it
is launched automatically into a
ballistic trajectory to intercept the incoming threat at a
relatively long distance.

Specific details about the composition and
mechanism of this explosive interceptor device are vague. From the
briefing provided by US sources, Defense Update understands that
Trophy is design to form
a "beam" of fragments, which will intercept any incoming HEAT
threat, including RPG rockets at a range of 10 – 30 meters from
the protected platform. The Trophy development roadmap considers
an enhanced countermeasure unit to be
available in the future, and protect against kinetic energy (KE)
threats. Trophy was designed to effectively operate in a dense
urban environment, where armored vehicles operate closely with
integrated infantry forces. Therefore, direction, formation and
energy of the fragments are
designed to ensure effective target kill with low collateral
damage, and low risk to nearby troops. While not in use, the
system is maintained in the stowed position, protected by an armor
shield. The system has an automatic reload mechanism to handle
multiple attacks.

The
system can simultaneously engage several threats, arriving from
different directions, is effective on stationary or moving
platforms, and is effective against short and long range threats
(such as RPGs and ATGM). Trophy was designed to be effective in
open or closed terrain, including urban area and can be operated
under all weather conditions.

On March 30, 2006
General Dynamics announced the successful completion of a firing
test, conducted at the request of the Office of the Secretary of
Defense’s Office of Force Transformation (OFT), to validate the
Israeli Army’s tests that demonstrated Trophy’s ability to detect,
track and destroy incoming rocket propelled grenades (RPG) at safe
distances from the host vehicle. Trophy underwent this U.S.
validation testing in support of OFT’s Project Sheriff, or the
Full-Spectrum Effects Platform (FSEP). FSEP program officials seek
to meet urgent operational requirements for a range of lethal and
non-lethal technologies on a rapidly deployable platform. Trophy
was selected in 2005 to be FSEP’s active protection solution.
During the test, Trophy detected, tracked and defeated an inert
incoming RPG while the Stryker combat vehicle was on the move.
Similar tests were successfully conducted in Israel in late
February.

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