Germany will equip its Leopard 2A7A1 tanks with Israel's Trophy active defence system

The war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East have shown that in modern combat operations a $500 FPV drone can destroy a tank that costs tens of millions of dollars, making the use of heavy armoured vehicles not only pointless but also deadly.

Defence companies are actively looking for ways to protect tanks from drones, ATGMs and PTRKs and one of the most effective systems is Israel's Trophy from Rafael and IAI.

The German Armed Forces have paid attention to Trophy and decided to equip their tanks with this defence system.

Here's What We Know

The German KNDS (formerly KMW) has demonstrated the Leopard 2A7A1 tank with the Trophy active defence system.

The Bundeswehr has ordered a modification of 18 tanks, which will be transferred to the 230th Tank Battalion for deployment in Lithuania in the summer of 2025.

It is noted that the Leopard 2A7A1 modification represents an intermediate stage before the release of the new Leopard 2A8 version, in which the Trophy system has already been integrated into the turret design. In the current Leopard, the Trophy system is mounted on top of the armour.

Trophy's principle of operation prevents hits on vehicles, as highly sensitive sensors and radars detect the threat in advance and automatically fire small interceptor missiles that destroy flying projectiles at a safe distance from the vehicle. The Leopard 2A7A1 version of the Trophy is not currently designed to combat kamikaze drones, but this feature is planned to appear in future models.

Source: Defence Industry Europe