A joint US-Israel team will debut a revolutionary new tank design at the 2015 AUSA event in Washington next week: an all-terrain vehicle which utilizes special anti-tank missile defenses.
Rafael Defense Systems Ltd. will present the Trophy-LV design, which is the most advanced vehicle of its kind in the US Army and IDF.
The vehicle is based on an Oshkosh, which is a 4-wheel drive, mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicle, and features the Mini Samson, a remote weapons station that allows tank crews to launch long-range anti-tank missiles without exposing themselves to enemy fire.
“Every year, we get numerous reminders that it's almost impossible to maneuver on the battlefield without an active protection system,” Giora Katz, Rafael executive vice president, stated to Defense News.
“When militaries and peacekeeping forces are facing millions of relatively cheap weapons in the hands of terrorists and other organizations, you better have some kind of protection like Trophy if you want to survive,” he said.
Trophy LV tanks operated during Operation Protective Edge, Katz noted, and were highly successful in defending against enemy targets.