Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and India’s Larsen & Toubro (L&T) have signed an agreement to offer the Trophy Active Protection System (APS) for Indian platforms.
The system will be built in India with significant Indian components, according to an L&T statement.
“The partnership between Rafael and L&T for Trophy APS is a major milestone for both the companies,” CEO of Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Yoav Tourgeman said.
“It will not only enhance the operational capabilities of the Indian Armed Forces but also our commitment to India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem and the nation’s operational readiness.”
APS Requirements for Indian T-90s
The agreement follows an Indian Army request for information for an APS to install on its fleet of about 1,300 T-90S/SK ‘Bhishma’ main battle tanks.
The request seems to have drawn lessons from the Ukraine war, where first-person view attack drones and anti-tank missiles have inflicted significant damage on Russian armor.
Though the Russian-origin T-90 features explosive reactive armor, the tandem warhead used by Western anti-tank missiles like the Javelin and the NLAW is capable of defeating it.
Expected Features
The Trophy was recently upgraded with the top-attack defense capability to prevent drones and missiles from attacking the vehicle’s most vulnerable part: the top.
The request for information requirements include soft kill, hard kill, and counter unmanned aerial system measures.
Soft kill measures include multi-spectral smoke grenades and electro-optical/ infrared jammers, while the hard kill options include kinetic countermeasures.
Production in India
Moreover, foreign manufacturers have been invited by the army to produce the system in collaboration with Indian partners.
“This partnership between two technology-driven companies, Rafael and L&T, brings the newest version of the battle proven Trophy APS as a bespoke solution customised to Indian combat platforms, and will be manufactured in India with local sustenance capabilities,” Senior Vice President & Head of L&T Precision Engineering & Systems Arun Ramchandani said.
“This APS will enhance the survivability of in-service as well as future combat platforms to be inducted by the Indian Armed Forces.”
