Israel Displays Armor Protection

TEL AVIV [MENL] -- Israel has been displaying its armored protection
products at a major European defense exhibition.
The state-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has been displaying its
line of armored shield protection, or ASPRO, at the Eurosatory Land Combat
Systems show in Paris. The line includes the ASPRO-H, hybrid add-on armor,
designed to enhance protection against anti-tank rockets, armor-piercing
projectiles, high speed fragments of artillery, mortar and high explosive
roadside mines.
"Rafael is proud to provide protection for both peacekeeping missions
and armed forces serving in Iraq and Afghanistan," Rafael executive Nehemia
Schachar, head of the company's protection and survivability sector, said.
Schachar said Rafael has more armor protection products serving in the
various Middle East conflicts, than any other company. He said the Israeli
company protects such U.S.-origin vehicles as the Bradley AFV, US AAV7,
Dutch YPR, Dutch M113, and the Polish Patria-AMV.
Another product Rafael has been displaying at Eurosatory is the ASPRO-P.
The system was described as a lightweight, modular and combat proven passive
add-on armor meant to protect combat vehicles against kinetic-energy
projectiles and high speed fragments of 155 mm artillery, mortar, roadside
bombs and IEDs.
Executives said Rafael has offered ASPRO technology for the competition
to win a tender by the U.S. military's JLTV program. ASPRO-P has been used
by the Israeli military, U.S. Marines Corp. and the militaries of the Czech
Republic, Italy, New Zealand, Poland and South Korea.
"We believe that the ASPRO-MT is a perfect candidate for the U.S. MRAP
program," Schachar said.
Executives said Rafael has added its Trophy active protection system to
its ASPRO line. They said Trophy, or ASPRO-A, has entered production for the
Israeli military.