Spurred Arrow system installed on APC
Spurred Arrow system installed on APCIsrael news photo: IDF Spokespersons Office

The IDF is about to acquire a new defense system for its Namer (Tiger) armored personnel carrier (APC) – the Spurred Arrow (Chetz Durban in Hebrew).

The system, produced by Israel Military Industries (IMI), will soon be the Namer's primary defense against rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), anti-tank missiles and tank shells.

It has also proven to be of great interest abroad: according to IMI Marketing Vice President Avinoam Tzapir, “Foreign militaries show great interest in purchasing [it]... since it is a precise system that makes it possible to organize joint combat operations of infantry corps and armored corps forces.”

Three central components comprise the system. The first is a set of detectors that includes an advanced radar detector and electro-optic detectors that identify the munitions fired at the vehicle in which the system is installed. The second element in the system is a computer that processes the data collected by the detectors, recognizes the threat and decides on the best way to neutralize it. The third and final component is a launcher that is equipped with interceptors and an electro-optic isolator that enables the Spurred Arrow to force anti-tank missiles to change their course and head off-target.

To deal with threats the isolator is unable to neutralize, an interceptor explodes in close proximity to the target, thus destroying it. The entire process takes place within a fraction of a second, according to the IDF Spokesman's Office, and is carried out automatically. The system will also enable operators to identify the source of enemy fire, making an immediate and accurate response that much easier.