Eurosatory 2022: Lacroix from France unveils its S-KPAS Soft-Kill Advanced Protection System

At Eurosatory 2022, the French company Lacroix unveils its new S-KPAS (Soft-Kill Advanced Protection System). Self-protection solution, an extended range of services for land forces, as well as a comprehensive range of realistic «High Intensity» combat training courses.

French Company LACROIX has engineered its proven self-protection system (GALIX-AOS) into an open and scalable solution to meet the growing need to increase the survivability of battlefield vehicles.

This system, connected to the vehicle’s vetronics, includes threat detection, situation analysis and protection reaction features. This system, fitted on effectors developed in cooperation with Nexter, considerably increases the survivability of vehicles by offering multi-band masking solutions (visible, infrared and millimeter), disengagement solutions and modern decoy concepts, when used in accordance with the recommended operating conditions. The S-KAPS system with its GALIX ammunitions (installed on more than 15,000 platforms, armored or not, in France and abroad), is an adaptable, incremental, and evolving system.

S-KAPS is a modern self-protection solution forging the collaborative protection of the future. It was developed within the PTD Pronoia project framework, where LACROIX is the leader of the company consortium.

LACROIX has engineered its proven self-protection system (GALIX-AOS) into an open and scalable solution to meet the growing need to increase the survivability of battlefield vehicles.

This system, connected to the vehicles vetronics, includes threat detection, situation analysis and protection reaction features. This system, fitted on effectors developed in cooperation with Nexter, considerably increases the survivability of vehicles by offering multi-band masking solutions (visible, infrared and millimeter), disengagement solutions and modern decoy concepts, when used in accordance with the recommended operating conditions. The S-KAPS system with its GALIX ammunitions (installed on more than 15,000 platforms, armored or not, in France and abroad), is an adaptable, incremental, and evolving system.

S-KAPS is a modern self-protection solution forging the collaborative protection of the future. It was developed within the PTD Pronoia project framework, where LACROIX is the leader of the company consortium.

S-KAPS innovations…: Focus on survivability

The recent rise of high-intensity conflicts, the evolution of threat-integrated technologies and their modes of use have heightened the need for a comprehensive approach to protection to ensure the survivability of armored vehicles on the battlefield. Soft-kill systems are the first layer of this type of protection. They are designed to detect threats and divert them from their primary purpose of destruction.

For several years, LACROIX had anticipated this need by laying the basis of an elaborate protection solution including threat detection, situation analysis and the deployment of protective measures. The first qualified systems are currently operational.

LACROIX has studied a new adaptable and incremental architecture, using the principles

of proven architectures and qualified effects in order to improve the performance of these systems. The S-Kaps (Soft-Kill Advanced Protection System) is the result of this project. It offers an unrivaled, and particularly adaptable level of protection.

S-KAPS is built around a computer capable of merging data from different sensor groups to implement the decision, reaction and protection optimization algorithms.

Several modes of operation are available, with or without a human in the loop and with several degrees of automation.

S-KAPS offers several tried and tested detection solutions, using different technological principles such as acoustics, emission detection in the entire electromagnetic spectrum, from UV to far infrared, including all laser lines, radars etc.

S-KAPS deploys multiband masking and decoy solutions, and other protection or dispersal systems. These systems are fitted on effectors developed in cooperation with Nexter Munitions under the GALIX name and qualified by various French and foreign organizations. One of the strengths of GALIX ammunitions is their instant protection (< 1sec) and long-lasting effects.

With this expertise, LACROIX will be representing a company consortium working on the PRONOIA (PROtection Novatrice Orientable Intégré d’Autoprotection – or Innovative integrated directional self-protection – soft-kill) Defense Technology Plan, under the authority of the French Ministry of the Army.

This plan will increase the performance of the various system components, its adaptability to all types of vehicles and will open up its scope of operation to a collaborative protection concept.