GOV/MIL New Bomb-Resistant Trucks Will Blast RPGs Before They Hit

[spinnaker]

The U.S. military’s toughest trucks are getting a new layer of protection — against rocket-propelled grenades. The Army recently awarded an $8 million contract to equip MRAP (mine resistant ambush protected) armored trucks with Iron Curtain. It’s a protection system which blasts incoming rockets before they can hit the vehicle. If the system works, it could go all long way towards neutralizing one of the deadliest threats American troops face overseas.

The contract calls for the Iron Curtain with Darpa’s sniper-detection system, CROSSHAIRS. It detects and locates enemy shooters using radar and acoustic sensors, and is intended to work against Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs), missiles, bullets and mortar rounds. Iron Curtain itself is currently designed to deal with RPGs; the makers Artis LLC planning future developments to deal with more challenging threats.



Iron Curtain system detects and tracks the incoming rocket with a radar, which then cues an optical sensor — a smart camera, essentially. The optical sensor identifies and classifies the threat — pinpointing the location of the rocket with an accuracy of about half an inch — and selects an aim point.

MORE: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/

[vulcan]

The system works. I forget what TV show they had it on, but they had slow-motion shots of the system cutting an RPG in half (it's that accurate). The RPG then just hits the humvee without exploding.

[spinnaker]

I wounder if is similar to the systems now being used on some aircraft, including Air Force one?

[Wildweasel]

Originally Posted by spinnaker

I wounder if is similar to the systems now being used on some aircraft, including Air Force one?

No. That's an IR deception system used to throw heat-seeking missiles off track of the engines. It's a laser-based system, I believe.

Works better than the older systyems that use flares to draw-off incoming heat-seekers. Plus, the new systems don't run out of flares after multiple uses or cause worries about setting the countryside on fire.

WW

[skoaldiak]

Found this while doing a search for it... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04R5iszkKW8

Pretty interesting

Here is info from link about video...

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.

Specific details about the composition and mechanism of this explosive interceptor device are vague. From the briefing provided by US sources, Defense Update understands that Trophy is design to form a "beam" of fragments, which will intercept any incoming HEAT threat, including RPG rockets at a range of 10 -- 30 meters from the protected platform. The Trophy development roadmap considers an enhanced countermeasure unit to be available in the future, and protect against kinetic energy (KE) threats. Trophy was designed to effectively operate in a dense urban environment, where armored vehicles operate closely with integrated infantry forces. Therefore, direction, formation and energy of the fragments are designed to ensure effective target kill with low collateral damage, and low risk to nearby troops. While not in use, the system is maintained in the stowed position, protected by an armor shield. The system has an automatic reload mechanism to handle multiple attacks.
The system can simultaneously engage several threats, arriving from different directions, is effective on stationary or moving platforms, and is effective against short and long range threats (such as RPGs and ATGM). Trophy was designed to be effective in open or closed terrain, including urban area and can be operated under all weather conditions.