The Israeli Defense Forces and Elbit Systems announced that the “Iron Fist” Active Protection System has completed a series of successful interception tests in challenging scenarios. The next step consists of completing its development process for two IDF vehicles: the Eitan APC and the armored Caterpillar D9 bulldozer.
Iron Fist is a hard-kill active protection system (APS) designed by Israel Military Industries (IMI), with a modular design allowing adaptation to a range of platforms ranging from light utility vehicles to heavy armored fighting vehicles. The concept was revealed by IMI in 2006 and was expected to enter Israel Defense Forces tests by mid-2007. The system has been successfully tested against a wide variety of threats including rocket-propelled grenades, anti-tank guided missiles and tank-fired high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) ammunition and kinetic energy penetrators.
It senses incoming threats via a fixed active electronically scanned array radar sensor developed by RADA Electronic Industries and an optional passive infrared detector developed by Elbit’s Elisra. When a threat is imminent, an explosive projectile interceptor is launched toward it. The interceptor explodes very near the threat, destroying or deflecting and destabilizing it by detonating its warhead. For this, only the blast effect of the explosive is used. The interceptor casing is made of combustible materials so minimal fragmentation is formed in the explosion, helping minimize collateral damage.
The acquisition of the Iron Fist active protection system was approved in June 2009. The system was to be installed on several units of the Namer armored personnel carrier. In November 2010, the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced the end of funding of the system development. In May 2011, the system intercepted kinetic energy penetrators and Metis anti-tank missiles during a test in the