German Leopard-2 Tank Gets 'Israeli Protection'; 1st Cutting-Edge MBT Gets 'Best In Business' Trophy APS

Nov 02, 2024

In a demonstration of its burgeoning defense cooperation with Israel, Germany has unveiled its first upgraded Leopard-2 Main Battle Tank (MBT) equipped with an Israeli TROPHY Active Protection System (APS).

On October 29, the Defense Ministries of Germany and Israel integrated the Leopard-2 tank upgraded with the Israeli TROPHY Active Protection System developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

Israel’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) posted photos of the unveiling ceremony on X (formerly Twitter).

“This deployment follows a 2020 agreement, spearheaded by the Ministry’s R&D Department in the Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D), to equip Germany’s Leopard 2 tank fleet with Israel’s premier active protection technology,” the Israel MoD said in a post.

The installation of the Trophy Protection System to the tank is part of an upgrade of the Leopard-2 A6-A3 configuration to the A7-A1 version by German contractor Krauss-Maffei Wegmann. The Bundeswehr (German military) opted to outfit its tanks with an active protection system due to the significant threat posed by “modern anti-tank guided missiles”

At the time, a letter written by German defense officials to the Parliamentarians stated that the acquisition and planned installation of Trophy was intended as a “first step” toward broader usage of comparable technologies. In the letter, German defense officials swore by the system, asserting to the lawmakers that they viewed Trophy as the most cutting-edge and operationally tested equipment on the market.

Historic Ceremony in Germany Marks the Launch of the First Leopard Tank Equipped with Israeli TROPHY Active Protection System 🇩🇪🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/1hpqvuU1eS

— Ministry of Defense (@Israel_MOD) October 29, 2024

In essence, an Active Protection System (APS) is a countermeasure designed to protect friendly vehicles from hostile anti-tank guided missiles or rockets by hard-kill (destroying the incoming rocket/missile) or soft-kill (jamming its electronics so it does not penetrate the vehicle) methods.

The manufacturer, Rafael, describes the Trophy Protection System as the “world’s only operational and most advanced active protection system.” In September 2023, Germany chose the Trophy as the standard APS for the new Leopard-2A8 MBT.

Trophy APS is designed to enhance the operational efficiency of tanks and armored vehicles, especially in high-intensity threat environments. The combat-tested Trophy system includes several small radars and launchers that are already equipped with several “hard-kill” rounds.

These APS use flat-panel radars and specialized optical systems to detect incoming munitions, including unguided rocket-propelled grenades.

An APS-equipped vehicle detects a fast-moving projectile, such as a missile, and determines if the projectile is headed toward impact. Once the threat from an incoming missile is established, the APS quickly uses interceptor projectiles or “soft-kill” directed energy (lasers) to destroy it in mid-air.

Moreover, in addition to “killing” the approaching target, the Trophy APS also locates the projectile’s point of discharge so that the vehicle crew can confront the source of the threat directly. This allows the tank crew to target the origin using the vehicle’s main gun automatically.

The system has had a high success threat since 2011, spanning low and high-intensity engagements. Moreover, Israeli officials had previously attributed the success of Trophy in preventing significant damage to Merkava tanks during the 2014 conflict in Gaza.

The system has been credited with intercepting various threats, including the Kornet ATGM and RPG-29. The US Army has also reported similar success in tests.

The system will bolster the lethality of the German Leopard-2 tanks, the mainstay of the German Army. Moreover, it demonstrates the burgeoning defense cooperation between the two states.

Germany has offered immense political and military support to Israel in its offensive against the Hamas militant group based in Gaza. Earlier this month, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Germany would supply more weapons to Israel amid reports that arms exports had slowed down.

Berlin, on its part, is also boosting its purchase of weapon systems from Israel as part of its massive military modernization triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In addition to the Trophy APS acquired for Leopard-2 tanks, Germany is procuring two major military platforms manufactured by Israeli contractors: the Arrow-3 air defense system and the Heron-TP combat drones.

Israeli and German officials signed a deal in September to move forward with the nearly €4 billion purchase of the Israeli-and American-developed Arrow 3 long-range air defense system. At the time, while describing the Arrow as “one of the best systems, if not the best,” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said, “It is, without exaggerating, a historic day for both our countries.”

A day later, the German Air Force Luftwaffe published a video of the system and an elaborate article describing how the system would aid Germany’s air defense as it seeks to build a protective defense layer for itself and its partners in Europe. The Arrow-3 has been instrumental in thwarting aerial threats during the ongoing conflict in the region.

The Arrow 3 system is renowned for its capability to eliminate ballistic missiles and their warheads, as well as other space-borne projectiles before they are reintroduced into Earth’s atmosphere.

The system will be part of the European Sky Shield Initiative, led by Germany. This initiative aims to fortify continental Europe’s air defenses against Russian threats. In effect, it will bolster Germany’s ability to detect aerial threats, especially in the upper layer and well above 100 kilometers of altitude.

The batteries produced by Israel Aerospace Industries are expected to start arriving in Germany by the end of 2025. In addition, the German government has set aside €5 billion for the Arrow system from the €100 billion special fund it established to increase defense spending following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The other Israeli system Germany has acquired is the Heron TP unmanned aerial system (UAS). A German Heron TP took to the skies on its maiden flight in May this year.

The medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) became operational from its eventual home station, Jagel, also known as Schleswig Air station, in the far north of Germany, marking a significant milestone.

In late 2022, the German Military Aviation Authority granted a type certificate to the German Heron TP (GHTP). The Israeli-made UAS has been modified to meet German Air Force requirements.

According to the manufacturer, the Heron TP is “a multi-role, advanced, long-range Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) for strategic missions.” The drone’s features include advanced avionics, SATCOM for long-distance communication, and autonomous taxi-takeoff and landing systems (ATOL).

The drone is designed as a multi-mission vehicle that could consistently perform several strategic objectives using a variety of payloads, including target acquisition, reconnaissance, intelligence collection, and surveillance.

Earlier, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Germany announced in April 2022 that it was purchasing 140 Heron TP armed drones from Israel.

That said, purchasing these cutting-edge systems has become symbolic of a deepening defense partnership between Germany and Israel, which has only intensified with increased volatility in Europe and the Middle Eastern region.