Army increases number of RPG-killing tank-defense systems headed to Europe

The U.S. Army is revving up deployment of rocket propelled grenade (RPG)-killing active protection systems weapons on Abrams battle tanks to Europe as part of an effort to better arm its armored brigade combat teams and counter Russian threats in the region. Active protection systems (APS) for military armored combat vehicles use sensors and radar, computer processing, fire control technology, and interceptors to find, target and knock down or intercept incoming enemy fire. The APS system now on Abrams tanks, called Trophy, is engineered to track and destroy approaching enemy fire through 360-degree radar and computer-enabled fire control technology designed to fire out an interceptor projectile to hit and explode attacking RPGs. The interceptor consists of small, shaped charges attached to a gimbal on top of the vehicle. The small explosives are sent to a precise point in space to intercept and destroy the approaching round.