The Pentagon has awarded Rafael Armament Development Authority Ltd. $1 million for the development of active protection system, called “Trophy” ahead of possible trials on armored fighting vehicles (AFVs) operating in Iraq. Rafael Armament Development Authority Ltd. is now completing development of the Trophy for the IDF Land Forces Command, and is about to begin full production. After the war against Hizbullah, the IDF will decide on which types of AFVs it will install the armor.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense has authorized Israel Military Industries Ltd. (IMI) to market its own active protection system, called “Iron Fist”, internationally. IMI is negotiating joint marketing agreements with a number of US companies.
Competition between Rafael and IMI over their active protection systems is reportedly intensifying. IMI claims that it cannot participate in a US Army tender because it obtained a Ministry of Defense marketing permit too late, two months after the trials in the US.
Rafael’s Trophy system includes threat detection and warning subsystem and countermeasures. In internal discussion, IMI CEO Avi Felder claimed that Iron First was better than the Trophy, because the Trophy only protected AFVs from antitank missiles, whereas the Iron First also provided solutions against hits by kinetic munitions (shells). He also claimed that Rafael’s threat neutralization system that destroys incoming missiles creates ricochets that fly dozens of meters at high speed, endangering friendly troops. In contrast, the Iron First uses shock waves to destroy incoming missiles.
On Friday, a defense source said that, were IDF Merkava tanks equipped with active protection systems today, many hits by antitank missiles fired Hizbullah fighters by could have been prevented.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on August 13, 2006
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