Germany marked a historic milestone in its military modernization efforts Tuesday with the unveiling of its first Leopard tank equipped with Israel's Trophy active protection system, deepening defense ties between the two nations.
German and Israeli defense officials gathered Tuesday morning for a landmark ceremony launching the first Leopard tank outfitted with the Trophy active protection system, developed by Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
The deployment follows a 2020 agreement between the Israeli and German defense ministries to equip Germany's Leopard 2 tank fleet with the Israeli-made protection system. Vice Admiral Carsten Stawitzki, head of the German Defense Ministry's Equipment Division, presided over the inaugural ceremony. The milestone highlights growing defense cooperation between the two nations, which includes other major agreements such as Germany's multibillion-dollar purchase of Israel's Arrow 3 missile defense system.
The Trophy system, resulting from collaboration between the Israeli Defense Ministry's research and development teams and Rafael, stands as the world's most sophisticated operational active protection system. It shields tanks and armored personnel carriers from a wide range of anti-tank weapons.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have relied on Trophy since 2011, with the system now standard equipment on all new Merkava Mark 4 tanks and Namer armored personnel carriers. Having proved its effectiveness in multiple combat scenarios with numerous successful intercepts of anti-tank missiles, Trophy has earned international recognition. Rafael's system now protects 17 different military platforms worldwide, including some of the most advanced tanks in service, with the German Leopard joining this elite group.
