The US Army has commissioned Rheinmetall and its US partner Unified Business Technologies (UBT) to supply a larger number of StrikeShield APS active protection systems. The contract value is ten million euros.
Die U.S. Army will das Schutzsystem einem Testprogramm unterziehen. Ein kürzlich zu diesem Zweck geschaffenes Projektbüro Fahrzeugschutzsysteme (Vehicle Protective Systems, VPS) ist beauftragt, in Rahmen eines größeren Vorhabens die Leistungsfähigkeit des Active Protection Systems (APS) gegen eine Vielzahl von panzerbrechenden Bedrohungen zu bewerten. Für die U.S. Army ist dies der erste grundlegende APS-Test mit dem StrikeShield-System. Die Erprobungen beginnen im Oktober 2020 im Redstone Test Center in Huntsville, Alabama (USA).
The US Army will conduct extensive live-fire testing of the StrikeShield system over a period of several months. The aim of the testing is to obtain performance data for the future selection of the APS technologies most suitable for a specific platform. The US Army expects the testing to provide results for APS needs for both its current and future combat vehicles such as the Armored Multi Purpose Vehicle (AMPV), Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF) and Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV).
The StrikeShield APS is a decentralized system that works in real time and can therefore work in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle to be protected. It serves to protect the carrier platform from anti-tank guided missiles and rockets. In addition, Strikeshield addresses the technical requirements for defense against impact projectiles (Kinetic Energy/KE). This results in a unique combination of capabilities for protection against a variety of threats with promising market prospects.
Rheinmetall has developed a modular hybrid configuration of the StrikeShield APS that combines the company's active and passive protection technologies in a single integrated design. The Hybrid Protection Module enables an integrated approach: Passive protection components simultaneously serve as an interface and protection for the components of the active protection system. Conversely, the StrikeShield APS components exhibit ballistic functions and properties. The outer protective layer protects these components from splintering, small arms fire and other mechanical stress. The StrikeShield countermeasures are housed in the first outer protective panel and double as the first layer of passive protection. The system's sensors are located in the gap. The system's hybrid and modular design is suitable for integration into both tracked and wheeled vehicles.
If positive test results result in a major procurement effort, experts expect UBT and Rheinmetall to set up a joint venture in the US to facilitate final assembly, delivery and integration.
Gerhard Heiming
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