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Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/02/AR2010040200399.html
Israel Unveils Tank-Defense System of the Future
(AP-Washington Post) Josef Federman - Israel says it has developed a major game changer in tank defense: a miniature anti-missile system that detects incoming projectiles and shoots them down before they reach the armored vehicles. If successful, the "Trophy" system could radically alter the balance of power against Hizbullah in Lebanon or Hamas in Gaza. Its performance could also have much wider implications as American troops battle insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Trophy is the first of a series of "active defense" systems to become operational. Such systems aim to neutralize threats before they strike the tank, as opposed to the past when tanks relied on increasingly thick layers of armor. The tiny Trophy system uses radar to detect incoming projectiles and fires a small charge to intercept them, said Gil, the Trophy's program manager at Israeli weapons maker Rafael. After firing, the system quickly reloads. The entire process is automated, and holds fire if the rocket is going to miss the tank. The U.S. and Russia are developing similar systems.