Rafael Advanced Defense Systems is expected to complete Trophy active protection system (APS) deliveries for the US Army’s M1 Abrams main battle tank line this year, but the service is still facing funding shortfalls and technical challenges in its quest to outfit other ground combat fleets with similar capabilities.
Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Ramos, the project manager for vehicle protection systems, recently updated Janes on his portfolio ahead of this year’s virtual Association of the US Army (AUSA) conference. When it comes to the Trophy APS for the service’s Abrams line, the army is buying systems for four brigade combat teams. If all goes as planned, Rafael will deliver its final lot by the end of the calendar year, he said.
US Army Sergeant Ansel Frayer, sitting in the gunner’s turret, and his crew manoeuvre their M2A3 Bradley during a live-fire exercise in Bulgaria in August 2018. The service has plans to buy IFLD APSs for its Bradley fleet but does not currently have the finance in place to do so. (US Department of Defense)
As for efforts to outfit the Bradley fleet with a similar capability to shoot down incoming threats such as low-cost, anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) and rocket-propelled grenades, the army still has a requirement to field one brigade of these vehicles with the capability and Elbit Systems’ Iron Fist Light Decoupled (IFLD) remains the selected system. However, the service is awaiting additional finance to continue research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) activities with the system and the army has still not freed up funding to acquire the capability, Lt Col Ramos added.
In February, Janes
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