Tel Aviv / Munich: The official roll-out of the first Leopard 2 A8 Main Battle Tank equipped with the Rafael TROPHY Active Protection System (APS) at the KNDS Munich took place on November 20, 2025.
The Leopard 2 A8 is the first Leopard variant to be delivered with TROPHY as part of its standard factory configuration, integrated directly on the KNDS production line. This reflects a growing demand across Europe for field-proven active protection solutions that ensure crew survivability and freedom of manoeuvre in high-threat environments.
Both contracts were executed through EuroTrophy GmbH, the European joint venture between Israeli company RAFAEL, KNDS, and GDELS, responsible for the production of TROPHY APS, coordinating European security of supply, and establishing long-term sustainment and lifecycle support.
TROPHY is the world’s only fully operational and combat-proven Active Protection System, with more than a decade of continuous service and thousands of successful real-world interceptions. With over 1,900 systems procured, TROPHY has demonstrated exceptional reliability, zero fratricide, and unmatched performance in safeguarding armoured formations against a wide spectrum of anti-armour threats.
Meir Ben Tzook, VP and Head of RAFAEL’s Land Manoeuvre Systems Directorate, and Chairman of the Board of EuroTrophy GmbH, said, “The roll-out of the Leopard 2 A8 marks an important milestone for Europe’s armoured forces. We are proud that TROPHY has been selected as the active protection system for this new generation of tanks. As the world’s only operational and combat-proven APS, TROPHY has repeatedly shown its ability to protect crews and enable both wheeled and tracked vehicles to manoeuvre with confidence in the toughest battlefield conditions. Through EuroTrophy GmbH, our European joint venture, we remain fully committed to supporting our European partners with this life-saving capability, as well as with the industrial cooperation and long-term sustainment needed for its continued success.”
TROPHY Active Protection System (APS) is the only mature, operational system in the world. Saving lives since 2011, TROPHY transforms any combat platform into an ultra-modern, highly lethal, and survivable machine – enabling exceptional maneuverability for forces in the field. Assured of their safety, ground units are free to rapidly advance and strike, allowing mission completion and uninterrupted combat continuity- even when carried out deep inside enemy territory.
TROPHY integrations include the US Army’s Abrams MBTs, Israel’s Merkava MBTs and Namer APCs, the UK’s Challenger MBTs, and Germany’s Leopard 2 MBTs.
The wars in Ukraine and in Israel exposed armoured platforms like main battle tanks (MBT) and armoured personnel carriers (APC) to a new threat – Top Attack by armed drones. Israel had to use a make shift solution – metal nets that were installed on the upper side of the armoured platform to protect from the new threat.
But Rafael used its resources and upgraded its combat proven Trophy active protection systems (APS) so it is capable of protecting from Top Attack by armed UAVs and loitering weapon systems. In recent months, Rafael performed some successful tests with the upgraded version. The initial capability has been proven but work continues to increase it, a company source said.
The upgraded version will detect overhead threats and operate the active means that explodes the warhead before it reaches the armoured platform.
The Israeli developed Trophy APS is now in big demand in some European counties. The German Leopard MBT will also be protected by this system. A Rafael source said that existing Trophy system can be upgraded after the new version becomes operational.
Recently, Rafael has added a silent mode to the Trophy APS. By using the four passive Electro-Optic (EO) Sensors that are incorporated inside Trophy’s radar antennas, the Silent Mode can be activated. The ELTA Systems EO Sensor, sometimes known as Othello, is a simple-to-install addition to the present Trophy Radar Antennas arrangement. Both freshly created and already deployed Trophy APS systems can simply be upgraded with the Silent Mode Capability thanks to the easy integration of the EO Sensor. The EO sensor enables the armoured vehicles crews to operate the radar only after the threat has been detected so that the emissions of the radars do not help the enemy to detect the tank or armoured vehicles from long ranges.
Artificial intelligence (AI) makes it possible for the detection to be achieved in microseconds, followed by the selection of the most efficient method of interception. A comparable tactic is employed against tank rounds, specifically the most deadly type known as the kinetic-energy (KE) round. This type of round fires a long-rod penetrator at nearly hypervelocity, made of heavy alloys like tungsten or depleted uranium, and is made to penetrate powerful anti-personal spheres as well as any tank.
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
