Jan. 9, 2019 / 2:48 PM

Italian company Leonardo to equip Abrams tanks with protection systems

Italian defense company Leonardo was chosen by the U.S. Army to provide active protection systems for its Abrams tanks, the company announced on Tuesday. Photo by by Specialist Genesis Gomez/U.S. Army/UPI

Italian defense company Leonardo was chosen by the U.S. Army to provide active protection systems for its Abrams tanks, the company announced on Tuesday. Photo by by Specialist Genesis Gomez/U.S. Army/UPI

Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Italian aerospace and defense contractor Leonardo announced an $80 million U.S. Army contract to provide protection systems for Abrams tanks.

The company's "Trophy" active protection system can defeat artillery, including missiles, rockets and anti-tank explosives, before they strike the target. It also pinpoints and reports a shooter's location, Leonardo said, with no additional armor weight or change in the tank's performance.

Leonardo will provide the systems through its U.S. subsidiary, Leonardo DRS, the company said Tuesday in a press release.

The system was designed by the Israeli company Raphael, and is in use by the Israeli army. The contract announced on Tuesday brings the value of the program to equip the U.S. Army's Abrams tanks to over $200 million.

The Army determined the necessity of an active protection system solution for its Abrams, Stryker and Bradley tanks in 2017, and has been seeking a solution since.

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