Traditional Trophy configurations were optimized for high‑velocity anti‑tank missiles approaching horizontally, not slow, hovering drones descending from above.
By Hezy Laing
The Trophy active protection system, developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries’ Elta division, has become the world’s most widely deployed hard‑kill protection suite for armored vehicles.
Since entering IDF service in 2011 on Merkava Mk IV tanks and later on Namer APCs, Trophy has intercepted more than 7,000 anti‑tank threats in training and combat, including dozens of Kornet, RPG‑29, and Metis‑M missiles fired by Hamas and Hezbollah.
Its success led to adoption by the U.S. Army for the M1A2 Abrams SEPv2, by the German Bundeswehr for the Leopard 2A7A1, and by the British Army for Challenger 3 trials, making it the only APS in NATO with full combat validation.
As drone warfare accelerates, Rafael has now integrated a new capability enabling Trophy to defeat small unmanned aerial systems.
The need for this upgrade became urgent as quadcopters, FPV kamikaze drones, and loitering munitions proliferated across battlefields from Ukraine to the Middle East.
IDF armor units reported a sharp rise in drone‑borne explosives targeting tank hatches, optics, and engine decks.
Hezbollah’s Radwan forces alone launched more than 1,000 drones toward northern Israel in the past year, while Hamas used FPV drones to strike armored vehicles during the October 2023 attacks.
Traditional Trophy configurations were optimized for high‑velocity anti‑tank missiles approaching horizontally, not slow, hovering drones descending from above.
The new counter‑drone enhancement adds a dedicated sensor‑fusion layer combining Elta’s ELM‑2133 F/G‑band radar with electro‑optical tracking and AI‑based classification.
Instead of waiting for a missile‑like signature, the upgraded system identifies low‑RCS aerial objects, predicts flight paths, and engages them using a modified hard‑kill effector optimized for small, fragile targets.
This differs from Trophy’s standard operation, which fires explosively formed penetrators outward in a tight arc to neutralize incoming rockets.
The counter‑drone mode uses a wider fragmentation pattern and altered timing to intercept drones at shorter ranges and higher angles, including vertical approaches.
Rafael reports that the upgraded Trophy successfully intercepted multiple drone types during 2024 field trials with the IDF Armored Corps and the Defense Ministry’s DDR&D (MAFAT).
The system is now being integrated onto Merkava Mk IV Barak tanks and Namer APCs, with export customers including the U.S. and Germany evaluating the upgrade.
As drone threats multiply, Trophy’s evolution ensures armored vehicles remain survivable in an era where the air above the battlefield has become as dangerous as the ground.
