GDELS Increases Protection of its ASCOD IFV Armored Vehicle with Trophy APS System

At the Black Sea Defence and Aerospace (BSDA) exhibition held from May 22-24 in Bucharest, General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) unveiled the ASCOD infantry fighting vehicle equipped with the Trophy active protection system, developed by the Israeli company Rafael.

The Romanian Ministry of National Defence is currently preparing to launch the procurement of a new fleet of tracked infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs). Bucharest intends to purchase more than 250 IFVs for the Romanian land forces. Although the tender for the new Romanian infantry fighting vehicle has not yet been initiated, the program has already attracted considerable interest from European and South Korean defense industries.

General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) is among the state-of-the-art land system providers participating in the BSDA exhibition. During the event, the company presented the ASCOD infantry fighting vehicle equipped for the first time with the Trophy APS. This system is integrated with the UT30 Mk2 unmanned turret, provided by another Israeli defense company, Elbit Systems.

The turret of the ASCOD vehicle displayed at BSDA is, in addition to the Trophy APS, equipped with a launcher for Spike anti-tank guided missiles, manufactured by Rafael. The integration of the Trophy APS and Spike missiles with the ASCOD vehicle’s turret makes it a much better-protected and more lethal vehicle, well-equipped to face the challenges and threats of the modern battlefield. The Trophy APS is a combat-proven protection system, having achieved over 90% effectiveness during operations conducted by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).

To date, the system has intercepted hundreds of rockets and other threats aimed at tanks and armored vehicles operated by the IDF, saving numerous soldiers’ lives. It provides vehicle protection against threats such as anti-tank guided missiles, anti-tank grenade projectiles (including those equipped with tandem charges), loitering munitions, and first-person view drones.

The BSDA exhibition provides a platform for GDELS to showcase this cutting-edge technology to military officials and defense industry representatives. As Romania prepares to modernize its fleet of infantry fighting vehicles, the ASCOD vehicle equipped with the Trophy APS emerges as a strong contender, promising enhanced protection and operational effectiveness for the Romanian land forces.

In conclusion, General Dynamics European Land Systems, as the manufacturer of this vehicle, demonstrates its continued commitment to integrating advanced technologies to improve the safety and operational effectiveness of armed forces. The proliferation of the ASCOD vehicle equipped with the Trophy APS reflects a growing trend toward the adoption of active protection systems in modern combat vehicles worldwide, underscoring the importance of ongoing innovation in the defense sector.