Article Posted on : - Mar 04, 2011

The ASPRO-A Trophy system. A Rafael photo

JERUSALEM (BNS): The Trophy armour-defence system of the Israel Defence Force (IDF) has successfully validated its capability by destroying an anti-tank missile during operations in the Gaza Strip.

“For the first time since its implementation on IDF tanks, the Trophy active protection system intercepted an anti-tank missile fired at an IDF tank patrolling in the southern Gaza Strip,” IDF said.

The Trophy (ASPRO-A) system, also known as ‘Windbreaker’, protected a Merkava 4 tank of the IDF from the missile attack, according to news reports.

The missile was fired while the tank was conducting a routine patrol near the security fence in the southern Gaza Strip Tuesday afternoon, the IDF said.

The system thwarted the missile without any casualties on the IDF's side, it said.

The defence system, produced by Israel’s Rafael company in partnership with US’s General Dynamics, uses sensors and radar to track an incoming missile and fires interceptor missiles that neutralise the hostile weapon before it can strike the tank.

Designed to protect both light and heavy armoured fighting vehicles, the Trophy system is presently being integrated onto the Merkava main battle tanks of the Israeli Army.

Meanwhile, the system has successfully completed a series of evaluation trials in the US, Rafael has announced.

The IDF’s Stryker armourded fighting vehicle fitted with Trophy, withstood numerous missiles and rocket attacks under a six-week test and evaluation programme conducted by the US Office of Secretary of Defence (OSD).

The test results were announced by the OSD on January 25, 2011, the company said.