ELTA North America has clinched a $7.5-million contract from the US Army to support the Trophy active protection system (APS) installed on M1 Abrams tanks.
Under the deal, the company will establish a more efficient US-based test and repair capability for the Israeli-made tank protection suite.
This capability will help ensure the operational readiness of the Trophy system, reducing downtime and increasing availability for deployment.
According to ELTA President Joe Adams, the contract demonstrates the company’s commitment to establishing a US-based capability that supports the production and maintenance of current and future systems.
“We are honored to help maintain the readiness of armored fighting vehicles,” he noted.
Bolstering Survivability
Developed by Rafael, the Trophy APS creates a protective bubble around an armored vehicle, ensuring that threats are neutralized before they can cause damage.
It can simultaneously detect and engage numerous threats arriving from various directions and ranges.
The system employs a kinetic “hard kill” mechanism to intercept incoming threats, such as top-attack drones, anti-tank guided missiles, and rocket-propelled grenades.
When deployed, the Trophy APS allows ground units to swiftly advance toward enemy positions with significantly less worry about anti-tank defenses.
It can be integrated with all vehicle classes, including main battle tanks and armored personnel carriers.
“This system provides protection against various anti-tank threats, enhances the ability to identify enemy locations, and significantly improves survivability in combat environments,” ELTA stated.
In addition to the Abrams, the APS is installed on Israel’s Merkava tanks, the UK’s Challenger tanks, and Germany’s Leopard 2 main battle tanks.