Active protection systems APS

Citation :

The Trophy Active Defense System (ADS) was developed by RAFAEL under an Israel Defense Research & Development Directorate (DRDD) support, aiming to provide armored vehicles with a new level of protection against most current anti-tank threats. RAFAEL cooperated with IAI/Elta and has signed a marketing agreement with General Dynamics, offering the system to US and other armies worldwide. GD planned to introduce the system with every new and existing combat vehicle it produces, including Stryker, M-1A2 and FCS. According to GD officials, the system can be adapted to US requirements and enter production within two years. through hundreds of live firing tests with the Israel Defense Forces and abroad, where the system demonstrated effective neutralization of anti-tank rockets and guided missiles, high safety levels, insignificant residual penetration and minimal collateral damage. By mid 2007, Trophy was selected to equip the Israeli Merkava Mk4 main battle tanks, and it is also a candidate for integration into the Namer, the future Merkava based Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicle. The system is also considered to become part of the protection suite of future light armored vehicle (such as the Stryker) when these become operational with the Israeli Army.


The Trophy active protection system creates a hemispheric protected zone around the vehicle where incoming threats are intercepted and defeated. It has three elements providing – Threat Detection and Tracking, Launching and Intercept functions. The Threat Detection and Warning subsystem consists of several sensors, including flat-panel radars, placed at strategic locations around the protected vehicle, to provide full hemispherical coverage. Once an incoming threat is detected identified and verified, the Countermeasure Assembly is opened, the countermeasure device is positioned in the direction where it can effectively intercept the threat. Then, it is launched automatically into a ballistic trajectory to intercept the incoming threat at a relatively long distance.

Citation :

The Quick Kill is an active protection system intended to protect ground vehicles from threats such as rocket-propelled grenades and kinetic energy projectiles. The US Army is funding the Quick Kill development with the aim to protect current Stryker, Abrams and Bradley armored vehicles as well as the Future Combat Systems family of vehicles. Raytheon is the prime contractor for the Quick Kill program. Testing was expected to start in the second half of 2007 with the Quick Kill integrated on a US Army Stryker armored vehicle. A key element of Quick Kill is the MFRFS radar system.

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Quick Kill will rely on Multi-Function Radio Frequency System (MFRFS) radars, the first two of which were delivered to the Army this month, Raytheon spokesman David Albritton said June 1. The MFRFS radar distinguishes what kind of weapon is coming in and how best to shoot it down. For example, Quick Kill might launch a longer-range projectile to intercept kinetic energy rounds, further away from the vehicle, they said.
“As an electronically scanned solid-state phased-array with fixed antennas, the radar can look at the whole hemisphere all the time,” said another Raytheon spokesman.
The Quick Kill system is planned for the FCS Man-Ground Vehicles (MGVs), new 27-ton armored vehicles to be fielded by 2015. In the meantime, while the MGVs are being built, Quick Kill will be outfitted on Abrams tanks, Strykers and Bradleys. The upcoming test, to take place this summer at Redstone Arsenal, Ala., will include system engineering demonstrations as well as live-fire test-intercepts. So far, the Quick Kill system has undergone a variety of test intercepts against live RPGs using a surrogate platform in Socorro, N.M., and Huntsville, Ala., since 2005.
Raytheon officials and U.S. Army proponents of the Quick Kill system say its vertical launch trajectory provides a 360-degree, hemispheric bubble of protection.
“If you have an overhead shot, then it [Quick Kill] will shoot up. We fire a vertical-launch countermeasure using a soft-launch mechanism similar to an air-bag gas generator. A single round can address a threat from any direction,” said the second Raytheon.
Raytheon officials said competing protection systems fire many horizontal, or broadside shots at one target. As a result, some of the defensive projectiles miss the incoming weapon and continue on their path, posing a danger to innocent passersby, say Raytheon and Army programmers.
“The approach we take is to put the interceptor into the air and propell it down to an intercept point, so ours tends to move the incoming projectile toward the ground. The design is one shot, one kill,” the second Raytheon spokesman said.
Also, Raytheon officials said Quick Kill could be fitted onto lighter thin-skinned vehicles such as cargo and utility trucks.
“We have looked at that and it is scalable,” the spokesman said.


http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=2802976&C=america

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is an active countermeasure system developed at Russia's Kolomna-based Engineering Design Bureau for the purpose of protecting armored fighting vehicles from destruction by light anti-tank weapons, anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM), and missiles with top attack warheads. It uses a Doppler radar to detect incoming warheads. Upon detection, a defensive rocket is fired that detonates near the inbound threat, destroying it before it hits the vehicle.
The system incorporates the following engineering solutions:

• use of a multi-functional millimetre radar with "instant" scanning of all protected sector to detect and track antitank targets;
  
• use of focused instant-effect protective ammunition for aimed destruction of incoming targets;
  
• control equipment, represented by a specialized computer that provides automatic control over radar operation and system as a whole, as well as device for serviceability control of the system and its integrated parts and units.
  

Protective ammunition is housed in silo sections arranged around the turret. The rack-mounted radar is fixed on the turret roof. All other equipment is housed inside the turret. Connecting cables from the turret run inside the radar rack without affecting the sealing of the fighting compartment.
The system is switched on from the commander's control panel and then operates automatically. On completion of power-on self-test, the system switches to combat mode. All information on the modes of operation and serviceability of the system and its integrated units is displayed on the control panel

Citation :

In combat mode, the radar continuously searches for incoming projectiles. Once the threat is detected the radar switches to the target tracking mode, in which the data on the moving target is obtained and entered into the computer, which uses it to select the most appropriate silo and determine the time for its activation. At the determined moment, the computer generates command signals to the selected protective ammunition. The later is launched upwards and detonates, creating a directed stream of destructive elements which destroys any target within this field, eliminating the shaped-charge effect of the threat or reducing it to levels that are not dangerous to the tank.
In emergency the commander (operator) can manually operate and detonate protective ammunition from the control panel.

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The Shtora-1 is a passive protection system intended against laser-guided high precision anti-tank missiles and artillery rounds like US Army's Copperhead. The system also provides protection against semi-automatic laser-guided missiles. The turret-mounted Shtora-1 passive defense system consists of two detection sensors of anti-tank missile laser guidance radiation, one detection sensor of laser rangefinder radiation, a wind sensor, four infrared (IR) spotlights and twelve smoke grenade launchers. The purpose of this arrangement is to detect the laser radiation and depending on the wind direction launch the smoke countermeasures to disable the laser beam to focus on its intended target. The IR spotlights are aimed at jamming infrared cameras. The Russian Army's BMP-3M armored infantry fighting vehicle is fitted with Arena-E active defense system and Shtora-1 passive defense system.

Citation :

T-80U modernization options. 1 - 2A46-M4; 2, 5 - Shtora EOCMDAS illuminators; 3 - Remote AAMG mount; 4 - Shtora laser sensors; 6 - Drozd-2 APS rockets; 7 - Cross-wind sensor mast; 8 - 902B smoke mortars w/3D17 grenades; 9 - Drozd-2 APS radar.

Specifications:

Designation Drozd Drozd-2
1030M

Layout on each side
of the turret 2 blocks of 5 spread
2 rockets
Protected angle ±40° ±120°

Number of rockets 8 10
Rocket designation 3UOF14
Rocket caliber 107mm

Engagement rate 0.35 sec/threat
Threat speed range 70 .. 700 m/sec
Reload time 15 min

The 1030M Drozd APS uses small rockets placed in fixed silos to both sides of the turret to defeat incoming ATGMs. The millimeter radar on the rear of a turret tracks the missile and fires the rocket from a silo that points in that direction. The rocket detonates, producing the stream of fragments that destroys the incoming projectile.


The system was installed on marine units' T-55 tanks (designated T-55AD, D signifying Drozd) in 1983.

This system had substantially less capability than the Arena APS in range of protected angles, number of incoming projectiles, and reliability of interception.

The Drozd-2 system that is being marketed today as an upgrade option for T-80U MBT offers several significant improvements over the original version, the most important being the drastically increased range of protected angles, as well as decreased projectile size and increased number of projectiles. This new system may be not inferior to Arena APS.

Citation :

The AMAP is an advanced countermeasure defense system family designed to provide protection for armored vehicles against the latest generation of threats such as Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs), Anti-Tank Missiles (ATMs) and medium/large-caliber kinetic energy projectiles. The AMAP-ADS hard kill Active Defense System takes care of the other set of threats utilizing directed energy to destroy them a mere three meters from the protected vehicle. The system weighs between 150-500 kg and has a reaction time of 0.6 milliseconds to counter multiple incoming threats. As of 2008, Patria and IBD Deisenroth Engineering are integrating and testing the AMAP-ADS on the AMV 8x8 armored vehicle. Pre-production began in 2008 with the production phase starting in 2009.


Other members of the AMAP family combine various metals, ceramic and composite materials, formed into special shapes to achieve a high degree of protection against a given threat. The AMAP-I version focuses on protection against IEDs. AMAP-B against ballistic threats. AMAP-M specializes against the threat posed by mines. The AMAP-L features a spall liner fitted to the interior of the fighting compartment. Transparent bullet-proof ceramic plates (AMAP-T) serve as windows.

Specifications

Weights: Max Weight 500 kg (1,102 lb)

Performance: Radius of Operation 3 m (10 ft) where the directed energy neutralizes the incoming threat, Reaction Time 1 millisecond

Citation :

The Quick Kill is an active protection system intended to protect ground vehicles from threats such as rocket-propelled grenades and kinetic energy projectiles. The US Army is funding the Quick Kill development with the aim to protect current Stryker, Abrams and Bradley armored vehicles as well as the Future Combat Systems family of vehicles. Raytheon is the prime contractor for the Quick Kill program. Testing was expected to start in the second half of 2007 with the Quick Kill integrated on a US Army Stryker armored vehicle. A key element of Quick Kill is the MFRFS radar system.

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Citation :

Diehl´s Active Vehicle Protection System

September 12, 2012 worldwide-defence



The active vehicle protection system of Diehl demonstrates superiority under fire.

Shelling military vehicles with shoulder-fired antitank weapons (rocket-propelled grenades – RPG, particularly RPG-7) in Afghanistan leads to numerous losses. Anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) are not yet used by the Taliban, but pose a threat due to their availability.

Successful tests with active vehicle protection systems

Under the name of AWiSS (Abstandswirksames Schutzsystem – active stand-off protection system), Diehl Defence has dealt with active, vehicle-based protection systems against antitank weapons early on. In 2006, an AWiSS demonstrator, integrated in a battle tank Leopard 2, successfully proved its effectiveness under fire against a guided antitank missile of the type MILAN 2. The effector destroyed the guided missile until the remaining fragments as well as the MILAN 2 hollow-charge jet no longer posed a threat to the battle tank.

After this trial campaign, AWiSS was advanced into the Active Vehicle Protection System (AVePS) based on user requirements. Launchers and effectors were designed to protect lighter mission vehicles as well. Moreover, the operating principle of the effectors was overhauled with the objective of maximum prevention of collateral damage. Furthermore a shatterproof blast effector was developed to destroy approaching threats with a directed blast.

AVePS includes the following components:

Radar and infrared sensor technology

Four-countermeasure launcher

System computer

Effector cartridge with blast grenade

System safety electronics

During two test campaigns in 2011, AVePS successfully demonstrated function and performance under fire against different types of armor-piercing weapons.

In both test campaigns, an AVePS demonstrator was used in a joint project with an Israeli company, called MAPS (Mutual Active Protection System). For the first test, the system was integrated in an M113 armored personnel carrier to test it under fire against RPG-7 antitank weapons. The active vehicle protection system proved its effectiveness by fending off the threat.

In the second test campaign of the MAPS program, the system was integrated in a FUCHS armored personnel carrier with the AVePS launcher and effector technology. During this demonstration, rocket-propelled grenades with state-of the-art tandem warheads (Panzerfaust 3) were fended off successfully by the system. The concept of countering threats with sufficient distance (>ten meters) to the vehicle was proven once again because the probability of pre-triggering during engagement is very high especially with tandem warheads. If there is no sufficient distance between the engagement point and the platform, the basic protection of the vehicle might be pierced -with severe consequences for crew and vehicle.

Engagement process and system features

AVePS´ sensor technology is able to detect threats fired nearby, classify them and determine whether these will hit the vehicle. If this is the case, the launcher is directed toward the point of interception calculated by the system and an effector is fired at this point, based on a recoilless propulsion principle within split seconds. The threat is neutralized by the shatterproof blast effector through a shock wave.

Besides the actual goal of fending off the threat, the system also decisively contributes to improving situational awareness. The AVePS sensor technology determines the release point of the weapon based on the trajectory, thus enabling quick and target-oriented countermeasures.

The launcher is optimized in terms of weight and moments of inertia and allows highest slew rates thus enabling countering threats fired at very close range. This again increases the weight advantage of launcher-based protection systems over explosive reactive armor or active protection systems with components distributed across the vehicle.

Modular configuration

AVePS with two launchers (system weight < 500 kg) can be used as a modular system on heavy armored vehicles against RPG, ATGM and KE penetrators as well as with one launcher (system weight< 350 kg) on light armored vehicles against ATGM and RPG threats.

The advantages of AVePS over other systems

All in all, AVePS features following advantages over other active vehicle protection systems:

Engagement of the entire range of antitank weapons such as RPG-7 with hollow-charge warhead or Panzerfaust 3 with tandem warhead all the way to modern anti-tank missiles (ATGMs) even with top attack. KE penetrators with sufficient distance to the vehicle are also fended off

360° protection based on the capability to fight several goals from different directions within the shortest of time without having to reload

High operational capability based on the possibility of fast, manual reloading and unloading of blast effectors

High reliability and protection against accidental firing with a unique safety concept

Citation :

LEDS installation on M60

LEDS combines active signature management, soft-kill and hard-kill mechanisms to provide full-spectrum active protection for land vehicles. Full hemispherical coverage is provided to detect incoming threats and alert the crew.
http://www.saabgroup.com/en/Land/Force_Protection/Active_Protection/LEDS_Active_vehicle_protection/Features/