Trophy APS: combat-proven system for NATO’s eastern flank forces

The Trophy APS system was presented during the Future Armoured Vehicles Central & Eastern Europe conference, which took place on 13-14 May in Prague, Czech Republic.

According to open sources, the Trophy Active Protection System (Trophy APS), developed by the Israeli company Rafael, has achieved over 90 per cent effectiveness during operations conducted by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). To date, the system has intercepted hundreds of rockets and other threats aimed at tanks and armoured vehicles operated by the IDF, saving numerous soldiers’ lives.

In a televised interview, IDF Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi emphasised that the Israeli military had deployed many different types of armoured vehicles to Gaza, with vehicle losses being very low. This is partly due to the Trophy APS, which is installed on Israeli Merkava tanks and Namer armoured personnel carriers. Social media features numerous videos showcasing the system’s effective operation, including against rockets fired from hand-held grenade launchers and anti-tank guided missile launchers.

“Trophy is a fully mature and combat-proven system. It provides vehicle protection against threats such as anti-tank guided missiles, anti-tank grenade projectiles (including those equipped with tandem charges), loitering munitions, and first-person view drones. These threats are characteristic of the Eastern European theatre of operations. We are ready to supply the system to countries on NATO’s eastern flank to improve their defence capabilities” says Dan Kalfus, Managing Director of EuroTrophy GmbH.

He highlights that Trophy APS has already been integrated with various tanks and armoured vehicles, including the Merkava, Leopard 2, Abrams, Challenger 3, ASCOD, Bradley, and Stryker. “From a technical standpoint, almost any land platform, whether tracked or wheeled, can be equipped with Trophy. This system increases the platform’s survivability on the battlefield, allows for prolonged operations in areas of intense combat, and most importantly, significantly enhances soldier safety,” says Kalfus.

The system’s operation is straightforward: a specialised radar detects and classifies threats approaching the vehicle. Then, a computer calculates the interception point and generates a special alert for the crew. If the calculations indicate a direct threat to the vehicle, the object is automatically destroyed by countermeasures. Additionally, Trophy identifies and locates the origin of the attack. This information can assist the attacked platform’s crew in destroying the target or be relayed to other combat systems via the Battle Management System (BMS).

“Trophy can be integrated with any modern BMS. The commander then decides how to neutralise the launcher that fired the shot. This is a crucial capability on the network-centric battlefield,” says Kalfus.

The Trophy system is almost entirely produced in Europe, ensuring supply and logistical security for European armed forces. EuroTrophy is a joint venture formed by General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS), KNDS, and Rafael

“We have two production sites: one in Kaiserslautern and one in Kessel. Additionally, we have a logistics and supply chain site in Munich. We can produce 40 complete Trophy systems and 500 countermeasures per month,” Kalfus highlights. He adds that the system is continuously improved by specialists from Israel and Europe to address any emerging threats on the modern battlefield.

The Future Armoured Vehicles Central & Eastern Europe conference was organised by the SAE Media Group.