Iron Curtain is an Active Protection system (APS) that defeats many of the most challenging armored vehicle threats.

(1) A C-band radar detects and tracks an incoming round, alerting the system and switching it from armed-ready to an armed state. (2) At close range, a distributed optical sensor classifies the threat to select aimpoint and determine which countermeasure (CM) to fire. (3) The CM acts straight down, killing the threat with minimal collateral damage to personnel in close proximity.

Iron Curtain has been demonstrated to be effective in field testing on military platforms. In the series below, a live munition is fired at an uparmored HMMWV equipped with Iron Curtain. The threat is tracked, classified and targeted. When the threat is within inches, the countermeasure is deployed, instantly disabling it, deflagrating the warhead without detonating it. The dudded munition bounces off the vehicle side.

• Defeats wide spectrum of threats

• Minimal collateral damage

• Minimal false alarm rate

• Multi-shot

• 360° coverage

• Low cost, low power and lightweight

• All solid state for ruggedness and reliability

• Being integrated onto MRAP All Terrain Vehicle

The system is low weight, low cost and occupies minimal internal footprint. The countermeasure acts very close to the vehicle resulting in low collateral damage. Using independent sensors – optical and radar – yields a minimal false alarm rate.

Iron Curtain’s ability to classify targets, along with its array of countermeasures, enables it to efficiently address new and emerging threats, usually with nothing more than a software change. With the rapid introduction of new threats this flexibility enables Iron Curtain to be modified in reaction to threat changes and prevents the system from becoming obsolete.

Iron Curtain can be configured to protect almost any surface, from just the sides of a vehicle to all-around protection, including top. Iron Curtain has been tested on an uparmored HMMWV, and is currently being integrated onto the MATV. It successfully completed recent OSD sponsored Live Fire Test & Evaluation (LFT&E). Iron Curtain provides more protection than conventional approaches – such as bar armor – and is easier to integrate. It is affordable and will be fully approved and ready for production by the end of calendar year 2012.