APS
Active Protection System
Active Protection System is a defensive system mounted on armored vehicles that detects and intercepts incoming anti-tank missiles and rockets before they strike.
Active Protection Systems (APS) represent a paradigm shift in armored vehicle survivability. Rather than relying solely on passive armor to absorb impacts, APS uses radar or other sensors to detect incoming projectiles, then launches a countermeasure or interceptor to neutralize the threat before it reaches the vehicle. The Israeli Trophy system, operational since 2009, has demonstrated the concept's effectiveness with over 5,400 confirmed intercepts.
APS falls into two categories: hard-kill systems that physically destroy the incoming projectile with an interceptor or blast of fragments, and soft-kill systems that use jamming, dazzling, or decoys to confuse the projectile's guidance system. Most modern systems combine both approaches for layered protection against different threat types.
The proliferation of anti-tank guided missiles and rocket-propelled grenades, particularly in urban combat and against non-state actors, has made APS increasingly essential. The U.S. Army has adopted Trophy for its M1 Abrams fleet, and numerous other nations are integrating APS into their armored vehicles. The technology is also being adapted for lighter vehicles that cannot carry heavy passive armor.
Related Terms
ERA(Explosive Reactive Armor)
Explosive Reactive Armor consists of tiles containing explosive material that detonate outward when struck, disrupting the penetration jet of shaped-charge warheads.
ATGM(Anti-Tank Guided Missile)
An Anti-Tank Guided Missile is a precision weapon designed to destroy armored vehicles, using wire, laser, infrared, or radio guidance to reach its target.
Related Articles
Active Protection Systems Explained: How Trophy APS Stops Anti-Tank Missiles
Active protection systems like Trophy can intercept anti-tank missiles before they hit. Here is how APS works and why every modern tank needs one.
Israel's Trophy APS Has Stopped 5,400+ Anti-Tank Attacks. No Other System Has Broken 1,000.
According to the IDF, 5,400 anti-tank attacks have been stopped, with zero crew killed in a Trophy-equipped tank. Rafael's Trophy Active Protection System detects an incoming rocket or missile, calculates an intercept point, and fires a shotgun-like countermeasure, all in less than one-tenth of a second. Here is how the system works, why the U.S. Army is installing it on every M1 Abrams, and the one kind of round it cannot stop.