If main battle tanks (MBTs) earned trophies, the German-made Leopard 2 would likely have a shelf full of the awards, but this week it received a different type of trophy – namely the Trophy active protection system, developed by Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. In a ceremony this week, Germany received the first Leopard 2 MBT to be equipped with the Trophy system, which has been in use on the Israel Defense Forces' MBTs for more than a decade.

Germany and Israel reached an agreement to provide the Bundeswehr's tanks with the Trophy system in 2020. Rafael developed the vehicle defense system in collaboration with the Israel Ministry of Defense's Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D) and the IDF's Tank and APC Administration to provide greater survivability from anti-tank threats.

"Historic Ceremony in Germany Marks the Launch of the First Leopard Tank Equipped with Israeli TROPHY Active Protection System," The Israel Ministry of Defense announced in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. It shared an image of the first Leopard 2 to be equipped with the Trophy active protection system.

"Designed to protect tanks and armored personnel carriers, TROPHY offers robust defense against an extensive array of anti-tank threats. Operational in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) since 2011, it is installed on all newly produced Merkava Mark IV tanks and NAMER APCs," the MoD added, while further explaining, "Proven in numerous operational activities, TROPHY has recorded multiple successful intercepts, safeguarding both troops and armored assets on the battlefield."

The platform can be integrated with an MBT's onboard computer and battlefield management systems to identify potential threats and use its advanced targeting locator to provide precise coordinates to a tank's management system. This can greatly improve defensive response time for an MBT's crew.

The German military first conducted live fire tests with Trophy in 2021, and it is now being employed on the Leopard 2A7A1 variant – which is set to enter active service next year with the Bundeswehr's 203rd Armored Battalion, the unit that is on track to be deployed to Lithuania.

The Trophy System: Like a Tank Shield

The IDF has employed the Trophy system since 2011, and it is a standard component of Israel's Merkava Mark 4 MBTs and Namer armored personnel carriers. It is also used to protect 17 different military platforms around the world, including the U.S. Army's M1 Abrams while the British Army's Challenger 3 MBTs are expected to employ the Trophy system.

According to Rafael, it has seen more than two million hours of operations and is installed on more than 2,000 individual vehicles globally.

"TROPHY can be integrated with all vehicle classes – tanks or APCs, wheeled, tracked, MBTs, and 8x8s –and is the only fully-integrated APS fielded by NATO," stated the Israel-based defense contractor.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].

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