Rafael finds European partners to market Trophy active protection system

WASHINGTON — Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has forged a partnership with Germany-based Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Spain-based General Dynamics European Land Systems to help market the Trophy active protection system in Europe, the company announced.

The new Germany-based venture, dubbed EuroTrophy, is charged with finding new takers for the defensive technology and leading any vehicle-integration efforts for future customers. The company is expected to be operational by the end of the year, pending regulatory approval.

In KMW, Rafael is getting the support of one-half of Germany’s venture behind the Leopard 2, the tank of choice by several European nations. The other company in that effort, Rheinmetall, is marketing its own system, dubbed StrikeShield, that will see an initial deployment on Rheinmetall’s Lynx vehicles sold to Hungary.

General Dynamics European Land Systems, the other partner in the EuroTrophy company, makes the ASCOD vehicle, variants of which are used in Spain, Austria and the U.K.

Hard-kill active protection systems like Trophy protect vehicles by firing projectiles at incoming rockets or grenades in the blink of an eye, disabling them within a safe distance. The suite of sensors and countermeasures has traditionally come at the cost of weight and electronic signature, but manufacturers say they managed to address such concerns in their latest developments.

In February, Germany ordered the Trophy system for a company’s worth of its Leopard 2 tanks, or 17 vehicles plus one for testing. The land forces’ tank fleet needs an active protection system because “modern anti-tank guided missiles pose a significant threat,” defense officials wrote to lawmakers at the time as a justification for seeking budget approval.

Earlier this month, Rafael announced the Trophy had passed live-fire tests on the Leopard 2s, with the Israeli government claiming an interception rate greater than 90 percent.

More In Europe

Anduril pairs with Korean shipbuilder to design new unmanned platforms

Anduril and HD Hyundai will collaborate to pair American software and autonomy with South Korean mass manufacturing in shipbuilding.

Air Force to get a head start on GPS, target tracking efforts

The service's first two Quick Start efforts involve boosting GPS resilience and advancing moving target indication capabilities.

Silvus and Kagwerks marry radios, chest rigs for battle communications

Silvus Technologies in January announced a $3.5 million deal with the U.S. Army's PEO C3T for StreamCaster radios and expanded operational testing.

Sea-Air-Space 2024: All the cutting-edge tech at Navy’s largest show

From an eclipse that yanked attendees to the waterfront to a surprise appearance by Lance Cpl. Chesty XVI, here’s what you may have missed.

Space Force launches weather satellite to replace 1960s-era spacecraft

The launch is a first step toward modernizing the Space Force’s more than 60-year-old weather constellation, the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program.