KMW, Rafael, and GDELS to establish joint company for Trophy APS

Germany was the first European country to order the Trophy APS for its main battle tanks, which the Israeli and German ministries of defence test-fired on a Leopard 2 in October. (German Ministry of Defence)

Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, and General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) announced in a joint press release on 11 November that they had signed an agreement to form a joint venture called EuroTrophy to market, sell, and produce the Trophy active defence system (APS). Based in Germany, EuroTrophy will also provide vehicle integration services and through-life support for the APS.

The three companies expect the joint venture to be formed by the end of the year, subject to anti-trust clearance and other regulatory approvals.

Noting that Germany was the first European country to order the APS for its main battle tanks (MBTs), Rafael president and CEO Yoav Har-Even said, “With the establishment of EuroTrophy, we are confident that additional European countries will join the growing family of Trophy users.”

The announcement of the joint venture came just over a week after the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD) announced on 2 November that it and the German Ministry of Defence, in collaboration with Rafael and KMW, had completed the first series of live-firing tests in Germany of Trophy integrated into a Leopard 2 MBT. At the time, Rafael said the tests were completed at the end of October.