In mid-1996, it was revealed that the Slavin facility of Israel Military Industries had developed for the export market a new modular passive Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA) system for light armoured vehicles called Reactive Armour Protection (RAPI) for short.

For trials purposes this has been fitted onto the US United Defense LP M113 series of Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), although the design of RAPI is such that it can be fitted to a wide range of other vehicles tracked and wheeled, to increase their battlefield survivability.

Development of the RAPI armour system is complete and production can commence as soon as firm orders are placed and first deliveries could be made in less than 12 months.

Extensive trials have shown that RAPI provides protection against anti-tank weapons such as the widely deployed Russian Federation and Associated States (CIS) RPG-7 rocket propelled grenade launcher fitted with a single High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) warhead, as well as heavy machine guns such as the RFAS 14.5 mm KPVT firing Armour- Piercing (AP) ammunition.

When installed on the M113, the front and sides of the vehicle are fitted with RAPI; each 40 kg module containing a number of ERA packages. According to Israel Military Industries, no sympathetic detonation occures when a HEAT warhead activates the inner ERA cassette.

For the M113 series vehicle, the complete RAPI armour package weighs around 2,000 kg so that virtually no modification is required to the actual vehicle from an automotive aspect.

As well as developing the RAPI armour system, Israel Military Industries is also offering a number of other upgrade packages for the M113 series of APC including a defensive aids suite and a two-man power-operated turret armed with 60 mm High-Velocity Weapon System (HVWS) which can fire a variety of ammunition natures including Armour-Piercing Fin Stabilised Discarding Sabot - Tracer (APFSDS - T) and High Explosive (HE).

In addition to being offered installed in a two-man power-operated turret, which can also be installed on chassis such as the Marder 1, for example, the actual 60 mm HVWS is also being marketed as a replacement for existing AFV armament systems. Full details of this turret are given in the AFV turrets and cupolas section later in this volume.

As of mid-1999, this turret remained at the prototype stage although small quantities of the 60 mm weapon had been sold for retrofit applications.

The defensive aids suite includes the following sensors, full details of which are given later in this section:

(1) Piano passive electro-optical warning system

(2) LWS-2 laser warning system

(3) Pedestal Operated Multi Ammunition Launching System (POMALS)

(4) Violin Mk 1 electro-optical jammer.

As of mid-1999, there were no known sales of this defensive aids suite for export M113 applications.

Development complete. Ready for production.