Odd decision. From U.S. Army Rejects Israel’s Armor Protection System Despite Successful Test:
The U.S. Army has rejected the Trophy Active Protection System for armored fighting vehicles developed by Israel’s Rafael Armament Development Authority, despite a successful live fire test on March 30 in the U.S.
An Israeli defense industry source said, “The test was a great success, but the…U.S. Army is locked onto another system being developed by Raytheon….Its only disadvantage is that it would not be ready for production and installment before 2010 or 2011.”
In Iraq, the top-of-the-line Russian-made RPG 29 rocket launcher is beginning to appear, which can penetrate the armor of tanks and APCs used in Iraq. Rafael developed the Trophy system over a decade in response to the challenge posed by the RPG 29 against IDF units in southern Lebanon.