The US Army is to begin testing of Rheinmetall’s StrikeShield active protection system (APS) in October 2020 under a USD11 million contract, the company announced in a 3 December press release.
StrikeShield is the new name for the ADS system, previously developed and marketed by Rheinmetall subsidiaries ADS and IBD Diesenroth Engineering. For the US market, Rheinmetall teamed with Unified Business Technologies in 2015 and has been pursuing protection opportunities on a range of research and development (R&D) requirements.
The US Army is to begin testing Rheinmetall’s StrikeShield APS in October 2020 (photo of APS StrikeShield is based on an Australian Boxer armoured vehicle). (Rheinmetall)
Skyshield will be trialled by the US Army’s Vehicle Protective Systems programme office as part of a broader assessment of APS technologies that has most recently seen the Israeli Rafael Trophy-HV and Elbit Iron Fist Light Decoupled trialled on the M1 Abrams tank and M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, respectively, under the Expedited Non-Developmental Item APS programme.
These latest trials are intended to inform future APS selection criteria for further US Army platforms including the Stryker family, M2-based Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle, as well as the yet-to-be-selected Mobile Protected Firepower and Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle.
In August 2018 the service stated it was investigating the ADS system for its requirement for an APS for the M1126 Stryker having determined the Artis Iron Curtain system was not a good fit. Prior contract awards have provided for theoretical work around the ADS system but this latest contract will see actual systems provided for live testing in October 2020.
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