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| Science & Technology |
| US to deploy RPG-busting 'force field' |
| 2006-04-13 |
| The US is to field test an innovative Israeli set-up designed to act as a "force field" around armoured vehicles, protecting them from rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and anti-tank missiles, according to a Fox News report. The system, dubbed "Trophy", uses radar to track incoming threats and then destroys them when they're in range by attacking the warheads with an "invisible force", according to Fox. Quite how it does this is, unsurprisingly, classified, but Defense Update understands Trophy is "designed to form a 'beam' of fragments, which will intercept any incoming HEAT threat, including RPG rockets at a range of 10 metres to 30 meters from the protected platform". The countermeasure is, then, actually physical - a fact confirmed by Defense Update, which explains the system has "an automatic reload mechanism to handle multiple attacks", although that's about as specific as it gets. The sceptical among you should note that Trophy has allegedly completed "hundreds of live tests with the Israel Defense Forces and demonstrated effective neutralisation of anti-tank rockets and guided missiles, high safety levels, insignificant residual penetration, and minimal collateral damage". Trophy is claimed to be effective against several simultaneous threats from different directions, whether the protected vehicle is stationary or moving, and in all weathers. According to Fox, Trophy will soon get a chance to strut its stuff in Iraq. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #17 there you go again, ruining a good joke! We were having fun until you came along and made the thing real. Always spoiling a good time there skidmark! |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2006-04-13 22:55 |
| #16 Beware, the scientists are among us...http://amazing1.com/emp.htm |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2006-04-13 22:07 |
| #15 "flechettes (that the right word?) that just maul the incoming round ripping it to peices before it hits." Not flechettes (those are little arrows). Probably more like shotgun pellets; I think it is like a claymore going off. I wonder if it is "detrimental" to the troops around the vehicle. |
| Posted by: Mark E. 2006-04-13 19:20 |
| #14 This may be the 21st century, but where are the g**damn flying cars? I was promised flying cars. |
| Posted by: Scott R 2006-04-13 17:21 |
| #13 Jonny Quest! Best Saturday Morning Cartoon Ever! |
| Posted by: Mike 2006-04-13 16:21 |
| #12 In Johnny Quest, ... all things are possible |
| Posted by: Lancasters Over Dresden 2006-04-13 15:48 |
| #11 Force fields, death rays, pain rays, robots . . . this must be the 21st century! |
| Posted by: Mike 2006-04-13 12:25 |
| #10 lol good point there - also around infantry i can't help but think this could be dangerous to our own guys on foot. |
| Posted by: ShepUK 2006-04-13 12:21 |
| #9 Slat armor is low tech, cheap, always available and very effective against RPGs. As for Trophy, I would worry about it detonating a fragmentation warhead that then takes out the radar. |
| Posted by: ed 2006-04-13 12:05 |
| #8 but this system is not the force field one - this one uses projectiles and not any force fields att all. I'm sure this is not the force field jobby thats been talked about- this is more like the Shorta systems the russians had i believe. It says Trophy is "designed to form a 'beam' of fragments, which will intercept any incoming HEAT threat, including RPG rockets at a range of 10 metres to 30 meters from the protected platform". Beam of fragments does not mean a laser beam or any other beam for that matter, its a load of something yeah but not a beam i'm sure, i think its like flechettes (that the right word?) that just maul the incoming round ripping it to peices before it hits. |
| Posted by: ShepUK 2006-04-13 11:30 |
| #7 and the poor bastard whose chair is atop the dilithium crystal core will never have children |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-04-13 11:22 |
| #6 Now, if only they can angle the deflector shields and hold them off until they can make the jump to light speed. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2006-04-13 10:39 |
| #5 Amazing how far we have come since the beginning of the last century and surprising that we still face the same problems that they faced thousands of years ago. The 21st Century is here. |
| Posted by: 2b 2006-04-13 10:26 |
| #4 Read about this in this months Scientific American along with an article on updated armor technology involving fluids that change viscosity IIRC. The "force field" system uses a magnetic field to disrupt the copper plasma jet of the shaped charge. By the way they had a really neat article on slide rules and another on deisel fuel from coal. |
| Posted by: Cheaderhead 2006-04-13 10:26 |
| #3 This stuff, high energy lasers being deployed late this year and into next year, microwave weapons (including the active denial system that causes pain without lasting damage) .... lots of interesting stuff getting ready to be fielded. |
| Posted by: lotp 2006-04-13 09:23 |
| #2 "Mr. Scott, more power to the shields!" |
| Posted by: Perfesser 2006-04-13 09:23 |
| #1 cool - force field lol. Active protection though and from the shots i've seen in past of this working its damn good stuff! |
| Posted by: ShepUK 2006-04-13 09:21 |