[Jorge Pereira]

In Eurosatory 2006 IMI unveiled its new Active Defense System (ADS) called - Iron Fist. Until recently, the development of Iron Fist was shrouded in secrecy, as it was developed in parallel to a different Israeli developed ADS system - RAFAEL's Trophy, which entered full scale development in 2005. However, due to rapid development pace and successful testing, IMI expects to deliver the first systems for IDF testing and qualifications by mid 2007. Unlike competing systems, IMI's Iron Fist can be installed on light vehicles, including trucks and even Humvees, offering effective protection from RPGs. IMI conducted extensive testing against a full spectrum of threats, engaging various types of threats from stationary and moving armored personnel carriers. The system already demonstrated effective protection of light vehicles and heavy armored vehicles, from small rocket propelled grenades, anti-tank missiles and tank rounds equipped with shaped charge warheads as well as advanced kinetic threats (armor piercing tank rounds).

The system uses a fixed radar sensor, mounted on the protected platform, to detect potential threats, measure distance and trajectory, providing the fire control system with data for calculation of engagement plans. When a threat is identified as imminent, an explosive projectile interceptor is launched toward it. The interceptor, shaped similar to a small mortar bomb, is designed to defeat the threat even when flying in very close proximity. Unlike other systems, the Iron Fist uses only the blast effect to defeat the threat, crushing the soft components of a shaped charge or deflecting and destabilizing the missile or kinetic rod in their flight. The interceptor is made of combustible envelope, fully consumed in the explosion. Without the risk of shrapnel, Iron Fist provides an effective, close-in protection for vehicles operating in dense, urban environment. The use of close proximity, rather than "hit to kill" mechanism avoids complex interception techniques and contributes to reduced cost.

One of the main advantages of the Iron Fist is its integration into routine operations. Its sensor provides essential input to situational awareness systems, based on ground radar surveillance, moving target detection, classification and tracking and motion detection. Furthermore, by loading other types of projectiles, such as non lethal, anti-personnel, smoke or illumination, the system can be used in support of routine operation.

Iron Fist is supported by Israel's MOD Directorate for Defense Research & Development (DDR&D). The program is designed to protect medium and light vehicles, but based on its performance, has the potential to be fielded on heavy armor as well. In future configurations, the system has a growth potential to protect sensitive elements of fixed installations or patrol boats, protecting from RPG attacks, frequently encountered in counter insurgency operations.

At Eurosatory 2008 IMI unveiled an advanced version of the Iron Fist active protection system developed for the protection of medium weight armored protected vehicles such as the Wildcat on which it was installed at the show. Iron Fist uses two twin-tube rotateable launchers employing redesigned fin-stabilized canisters (compared to the previous mortar-like ammunition used in the previous design). IMI claims the canister has better aerodynamic qualities and is more stable in flight, thus enabling the system to address treats at various ranges. Made of composite casing fully consumed by the blast, the system poses minimal risk of collateral damage to nearby troops or non combatants. It is activated by command from the fire control system, employing an Elta Systems conformal, distributed radar system and an infrared sensor called Tandir, developed at Elbit Systems Elisra. Redesigned as a multi-dimensional protection system, Iron-Fist provides the crew with early warning and situational picture of incoming threats, employing 'soft-kill' means at mid-range and only if the threat is not eliminated by other means, intercepts it with remotely detonated hard-kill munitions. Iron-Fist can handle multiple targets simultaneously with different intercept methods, including multiple countermeasures fired at two simultaneous threats at the same sector.

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Confesso que me impressionou. Será o princípio do fim da ameaça de sistemas como os RPG?

[Lancero]

Vi no Discovery há poucos dias. A única dúvida que me criou é se terá mesmo a capacidade de identificar que o objecto que voa em direcção à viatura é uma ameaça ou, por exemplo, um pássaro. Parece-me ainda que a sua utilização em ambiente urbano pode provocar imensos danos colaterais.

Algo muito semelhante é o Quick Kill que a Raytheon está a desenvolver para os americanos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgWywHPVzMg

[Trafaria]

Também vi, impressionante. Acho que aquilo funcionará por detecção de uma fonte de calor ...

[Jorge Pereira]

Vi no Discovery há poucos dias. A única dúvida que me criou é se terá mesmo a capacidade de identificar que o objecto que voa em direcção à viatura é uma ameaça ou, por exemplo, um pássaro. Parece-me ainda que a sua utilização em ambiente urbano pode provocar imensos danos colaterais.

Algo muito semelhante é o Quick Kill que a Raytheon está a desenvolver para os americanos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgWywHPVzMg

Também vi Lancero. A dúvida foi exactamente a mesma. Imaginemos que um grupo se prepara para emboscar um meio blindado qualquer equipado com esse sistema, mas só têm um RPG e muitas...bolas de baseball . Lançam primeiro as bolas de baseball e depois de o sistema se “esgotar” disparam mesmo o RPG! Será que previram isso?

[tyr]

a assinatura electromagnetica de uma bola de baseball ou de um passaro são bem diferentes da de uma Granada foguete ou de um projectil disparado de uma boca de fogo.

[dannymu]

Parece-me bom mas gostaria de saber o preço desse sistema. Infelizmente, se Portugal achar tal sistem adequado para as nossas Forças Armadas, já estou a ver que não haverá dinheiro para fazer tal compre e que só teremos tal sistema daqui a uns anos (e talvez em segunda mão) e se calhar até já estará ultrapassado.

[Lancero]

Li um pouco mais sobre o assunto e percebi que recentemente instalaram um sensor IR para diminuir os falsos positivos.