Euro Trophy GmbH was established in Germany this week. Its mission is to market, sell and manufacture the Advanced Trophy Active Protection System [APS] for armored vehicles [both wheeled and tracked].

Photo credit: Wikipedia

Behind the new company is an alliance signed by the German company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann [KMW], the Spanish-based multinational General Dynamics European Land Systems [GDELS], and the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems [Rafael].

Euro Trophy strives to serve the customers of this NATO and EU system in Europe, in addition to providing qualified services for vehicle integration and lifelong support of the said active protection system. The APS Trophy will be produced in Germany thanks to the transfer of technology in which the agreement was drawn up. Directors Mark Stockfish, Daniela Müller, and Dan Kalfus have been appointed to take over the reins of the new company.

Its developers claim that the Trophy “is the only APS in the world fully integrated and tested in battle.” Since 2010, the decision has protected the main Merkava battle tanks and the Namer APC armored vehicles, both of which are in the inventory of the Israeli Defense Forces.

Abrams, Leopard, and Challenger tanks

Photo credit: wallpaperflare

According to data provided by Rafael, the Trophy system has already accumulated more than one million operating hours last year since its first interception in 2011. Since then, “it has made numerous interceptions” in which there have been no injuries. crews of armored vehicles or infantry, nor is there any damage to platforms equipped with the system. A total of “5,400 successful field tests” have been carried out during this time. Production of more than 1,800 of these systems is currently agreed upon.

Trophy Active Defense Systems [APS] were ordered, among others, by the United States Army to install on their Abrams tanks. The German Ministry of Defense has also chosen the Raphael Trophy to actively defend the Leopard 2 main battle tanks, and the British Challenger 3 main battle tanks will also have this defense system, in a lighter version called the Trophy MV.