£20 million contract advances Challenger 3 missile protection system
Trophy active protection systems will be trialled on Challenger 3 MBTs. (Photo: UK MoD/Crown Copyright)
A £20 million contract has been awarded to Rafael for Trophy active protection systems to be evaluated on UK Challenger 3 MBTs. Demonstrations and testing are set for 2024.
Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems will provide Trophy active protection systems for evaluation and testing for missile protection on Challenger 3 MBTs for the British Army.
The £20 million ($26.2 million) contract follows the completion of three weeks of assessment phase trials where a representative Challenger 3 system dealt with a total of 25 shots, including live intercepts.
The new contract will see the purchase of Trophy systems and countermeasures and test equipment required for the qualification and integration activity planned for the upcoming demonstration phase.
Related Articles
AUSA 2017: US Army contracts for Abrams Trophy fielding
UK to integrate lightweight active protection systems on Challenger 3 tanks
UK rethinks tank fleet numbers as Challenger 3 project hits critical milestone
Trophy will be tested and integrated with a Challenger 3 to provide enhanced protection against rocket and missile threats, while simultaneously finding the origin of the hostile fire for immediate response.
The Challenger 3 is being manufactured by Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) and is expected to enter service in 2027.
The Trophy demonstration phase is due to begin in 2024 and will be delivered by Rafael and RBSL as the design authority for the Challenger 3 tanks. The testing will occur at Rafael’s facility in Israel, and in UK test ranges.
RBSL was awarded the UK MoD's £800 million contract to upgrade 148 British Army Challenger 2s in May 2021. The upgraded Challenger 3s will be network-enabled, digital MBTs with state-of-the-art lethality, upgraded survivability and world-class surveillance and target acquisition capabilities.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
![UK artillery factory opens as defence review inches forward]()
UK artillery factory opens as defence review inches forward
The new artillery and howitzer factory pre-dates the emphasis on this capability from this month’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR). The first joint industry-government meeting outlined in the review took place this week.
-
![Precision Strike Missile engine successfully tested from M270A2 launcher]()
Precision Strike Missile engine successfully tested from M270A2 launcher
Lockheed Martin’s Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) is a next-generation surface-to-surface missile with the solid rocket motor (SRM) provided by Northrop Grumman. The company is working to boost its SRM production capability.
-
![CV90 user group signs agreement to improve procurement and commonality]()
CV90 user group signs agreement to improve procurement and commonality
The CV90 is in service with or ordered by ten countries. The agreement between six of these countries is designed to create commonality to provide economies of scale and a reduced training burden.
