DAHLGREN, Va. - The first tests of the Trophy Active Protection System in the U.S. were successfully completed today by the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center.
Conducted at the request of the Office of the Secretary of Defense's Office of Force Transformation (OFT), the tests certify comprehensive experiments conducted by the Israel Defense Forces, validating Trophy's ability to detect, track and destroy incoming rocket propelled grenades (RPG) at safe distances from the host vehicle.
A Stryker eight-wheeled combat vehicle equipped with Trophy underwent U.S. validation testing in support of OFT's Project Sheriff, or the Full-Spectrum Effects Platform (FSEP). FSEP program officials seek to meet urgent operational requirements for a range of lethal and nonlethal technologies on a rapidly deployable platform. Trophy was selected in 2005 to be FSEP's active protection solution.
The Dahlgren tests culminated in a live-fire demonstration March 30 for various U.S. and international military dignitaries. Trophy detected, tracked and defeated an inert incoming RPG while the Stryker combat vehicle was on the move. Similar tests were successfully conducted in Israel in late February.
Trophy intercept sequence
"Our mission is not to discover the 100 percent solution, but to find the best solution that can meet warfighter needs today," said Marine Corps Col. Wade Hall, transformation strategist at OFT. "Currently, the warfighters' only counter to the RPG threat is armor, more armor and more armor.
"As demonstrated today, the Department of Defense now has at its disposal technology that allows U.S. Forces to defeat both the 'archer and the arrow.' As General Patton once said, 'A good plan executed today is better than a perfect plan executed at some indefinite point in the future.' OFT and the Full-Spectrum Effect platform are executing today," Hall added.
General Dynamics Land Systems and Rafael Armament Development Authority, Ltd. entered into a teaming agreement in 2005 to introduce Trophy in the United States for possible integration on ground vehicle fleets.
OFT advocates and seeks to catalyze experiments that get nascent capabilities into the hands of warfighters to create new knowledge and learning. The FSEP will integrate new weapons and sensor technologies onto current platforms in a spiral development approach, and will ultimately field increasingly advanced capabilities. U.S. test certification concludes the Trophy FSEP's Spiral 0 efforts. Spiral 1 includes developing an autoloader for the Trophy Active Protection System.
Israel Defense Forces' Merkava 4 main battle tanks will feature Trophy as part of their survivability suite. Trophy could also meet lightweight armor requirements for a variety of military ground vehicle survivability upgrade programs worldwide. Offered as a kit, Trophy would increase lightweight armored vehicles' survivability and enhance mission profiles. Under the General Dynamics Land Systems-Rafael teaming agreement, General Dynamics serves as the prime contractor for related U.S. Department of Defense programs.
GDLS
03.04.2006