Trophy (Israel Defense Forces designation מעיל רוח, 'Windbreaker') is an active protection system (APS) for military armored vehicles designed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. It is designed to supplement the standard armor of light and heavy armored fighting vehicles. The system is in active use on Merkava Mark 4 tanks and the Namer armored personnel carrier (APC). It is also found on the Abrams M1A1/M1A2 tanks and has been tested on Stryker APCs and Bradley Fighting Vehicles. The Trophy system protects against a wide variety of anti-tank threats while enhancing the vehicle's ability to identify enemy locations.
Design The first production contract for Trophy between the IDF and Rafael was signed in 2007. Israeli Government/IDF safety certification was granted in 2010, and first deliveries began immediately afterward. The design centers on the Elta EL/M-2133 F/G band fire-control radar with four flat-panel antennas mounted on the vehicle; this provides a 360-degree sensing field. The system relies on high-speed computational technologies. Upon detection of an incoming projectile, the system automatically computes parameters such as the approach vector, nature of the threat, time to impact, and angle of approach. The defensive projectiles are launched by two rotating launchers positioned on the sides of the vehicle. These launchers deploy small explosively formed penetrators (EFPs) in a precise, closely spaced matrix, targeting an area in front of the anti-tank projectile. The system is engineered with a narrow kill zone to ensure the safety of friendly personnel near the vehicle. Trophy enables connectivity to other technologies, such as soft-kill systems, C4I systems, and remote-controlled weapons stations. The system is designed to defend against many types of anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), rockets, high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds, and shoulder-launched weapons such as rocket-propelled grenades and recoilless rifles. The system can simultaneously engage numerous threats arriving from different directions; it is effective on stationary or moving platforms against both short- and long-range threats. Newer versions include an automated reloading feature for multiple firings. Rafael's development program includes an enhanced countermeasures unit—to be available in the future—designed to protect against kinetic energy penetrators. Based on data from 2013, adding the Trophy system to a Merkava Mark 4M potentially adds 30 percent to the cost of each vehicle. By 2023, 40 Trophy systems and 500 countermeasures were being produced per month.
Capabilities and effectiveness As an active protection system, Trophy has proven effective in protecting armored vehicles such as armoured personnel carriers, tanks, and related mechanized armor. By 2024, the manufacturer stated the Trophy system had accumulated 500,000 hours of active operational usage. Since 2011, Israel has reported that the Trophy system has been operationally successful in low- and high-intensity combat situations, including urban, open, and forested environments. The system has intercepted a variety of threats, including the 9M133 Kornet ATGM and RPG-29. The U.S. Army has reported similar success in tests. The system utilizes small EFPs projected towards the incoming threat; energy, debris, and explosive pressure waves disintegrate the projectile at a safe distance from the vehicle. In the case of an ATGM, the EFP affects the shaped plasma jet, dramatically decreasing its penetration ability. Trophy is reportedly effective against so-called top attack missiles, which target the thinner upper armor of a vehicle. Rafael established the first Trophy production line in Israel in 2007, which began delivery in 2010. A second production line was established in the U.S. in 2012, beginning deliveries in 2015, with the main purpose of providing Trophy systems to the IDF as part of the Foreign Military Funding (FMF) program. Both production lines are used for the U.S. contract and others.
Use as a target locator The Trophy radar system searches, detects, and classifies incoming projectile risks. It feeds data to the vehicle's onboard computer and to an external network for data sharing with supporting units. This capability notifies both the crew of individual vehicles and the wider combat formation about incoming threats and the exact locations of potential shooters, making the system highly effective for both single vehicles and larger combat groups. This data sharing and shooter location assists the unit's combat effectiveness, allowing other assets to acquire the hostile target rather than leaving it to a single armored vehicle. Trophy can identify if a threat will miss the targeted platform; in this case, it does not activate the countermeasure but provides shared location data, enabling rapid engagement by the full combat team.
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