Specifications
Type: Active Protection System
Mounting: AFVs / Installations.
Sensors: AESA radar, IR sensors.
Engagement method: Hard Kill 80mm projectiles or Soft Kill Laser jammers and aerosol smoke grenades.
Protects against: RPGs, ATGMs, Kinetic Penetrators (only with ITP80+, see text)
Weight: 500-1000kg.
Power supply: 24V.
Cost: 200,000 to 400,000 USD depending on configuration.
Production rights - please contact us.
Background
In the 1990s and early 2000s the Nachmerean military and arms industry developed several countermeasures systems to detect and defeat anti-tank guided missiles, including IR jammers, automatic smoke launchers and other systems. The systems gradually matured into early Iron TIde versions, leading to Iron Tide M.
Iron Tide M is a modular, networked, multi-sensor and multi-countermeasure active protection system for installation on light and heavy fighting vehicles as well as fixed positions. Depending on the selected modules, Iron Tide M offers protection against rocket propelled grenades, guided missiles and even long rod kinetic penetrators.
Design
At the heart of the system is a powerful and compact computer, running on a stripped down version of a common commercial operating system. The Iron Tide M software installed on it collects, integrates and acts upon information gathered from sensors connected to it, and if linked to BASTION II, information received from other Iron Tide M equipped vehicles in its vicinity. The system is controlled by a fully digitized control screen(can be integrated to existing screens in vehicles). The system automatically identifies and tracks threats, deciding if and how to engage them. Linking through BASTION II allows separate Iron TIde M systems to communicate, divide engagement of threats between them, cover vehicles that are out of countermeasures, and create grouped smoke screens.
To detect threats, Iron Tide M can be used with up to 5 flat panel AESA F/G band radars mounted around the vehicle, to give a 360 degrees identification range. In addition the system uses up to 6 combined IR sensors/laser warning receivers for added probability and quality of identification. The system can operate using only the IR sensors, to reduce the RF emissions, however this may greatly degrade its capabilities.
When the system identifies a threat it can react to it according to predetermined rules of engagement. The system can be coupled to the turret controls to slew the target onto a laser designator aiming at the tank or an incoming threat. More importantly it can use 3 separate countermeasure systems to engage and defeat the incoming threat.
The first option utilizes aerosol IR screening smoke grenades. These create an instantaneous thick screen of aerosol smoke that blocks both IR seekers and laser designators. The launch system for these can be integrated into the vehicles existing smoke dischargers or as a separate launcher.
The other Soft Kill countermeasure is a pair of powerful and compact laser jammers mounted one on each side of the vehicle(co-mounted with the hard kill launchers on 360 degree high elevation mounts). These passive cooling, 1kW lasers jam 2nd generation ATGMs by replicating the IR flare/light used by their guidance system. They may also blind some laser and IR guided ATGMs and rockets. Unlike IR based jammers, the lasers are reactionary, and thus have the advantage of only emitting when a threat is imminent. They are also lighter, more compact and have a longer life span (over 1000 hours working time).
Finally, against threats that can not be spoofed or jammed, Iron Tide M uses a Hard Kill countermeasure. They are launched from either twin or triple barreled fully stabilized launchers, one on each side of the vehicle. These 80mm fin stabilized projectiles are combustible and create virtually no shrapnel, making the system very safe for the crew and nearby friendlies. The projectiles use a “miss-to-kill” attack, exploding less than 1 meter away from the threat. Two versions of these exist - ITP80 and ITP80+ (requiring different launcher modules).ITP80 is most capable against various rocket propelled grenades and ATGMs. The projectile causes these to either fall apart in mid air or destabilize and miss.
ITP80+ is a recent addition, and is heavier and longer. Unlike ITP80 it is also effective against sabot rounds fired by tank main guns, deflecting them and greatly reducing their penetration by making them hit the vehicle at non optimal angles. As mentioned, Iron Tide M automatically chooses if and how to engage threats, attempting to use the soft kill methods first, to preserve its banks of hard kill projectiles. If the 4 or 6 projectiles are expanded, they can be reloaded rapidly by the vehicle’s crew.
To better fit the specific needs of carrying platforms, Iron Tide M can be used with only some, or all the modules. This also reflects in the cost of installation. If a vehicle is expected to not face tank fire for instance, it is recommended to fit the lighter and cheaper ITP80 launchers. A vehicle with weight or space constraints may require giving up the smoke screening grenades.
Purchasing
Iron Tide M is available as a standard on many Schwerpunkt AFVs. It is now being offered both to upgrade existing foreign vehicles or for foreign arms makers to place on their own vehicles (including those they export). Please contact us to place orders.