Faced with severe losses in Ukraine, the US Army buys the Israeli Iron Fist to protect the M2 Bradley

To equip part of its fleet of M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, the US Army announced the acquisition of the other Israeli APS system, the Iron Fist, alongside the acquisition of the APS Hard -kill Trophy to protect part of the M1A2 Abrams battle tank fleet.

However, the budgetary constraints linked to this program prevented it from acquiring the Iron Fist APS, the program having since been regularly postponed, for the same reasons.

Were it the Ukrainian Bradley losses that influenced the US Army staff? Regardless, Major General Glenn Dean, the service's program director for ground combat systems, announced that the US Army had managed to preserve certain budgetary capabilities, which allowed it to acquire " several dozen” of these Israeli Iron Fist systems, to install them on a small fleet of M2 Bradleys.

Armor vulnerability in Ukraine worries US Army planners

While media attention is often given to Russian losses in Ukraine, particularly regarding its tanks and armored vehicles, Ukrainian losses are also very significant, including concerning Western equipment supplied to the Ukrainian armies.

Thus, 72 of the M2 Bradleys supplied by the United States to Ukraine have been reported destroyed, damaged or captured since the start of the conflict, alongside several M1A1 Abrams, although they arrived recently, and in small numbers. More generally, a large part of the front-line equipment provided by Westerners was destroyed or damaged, including 36 Leopard 2 A4/A6 and Stridsvagn 122, 11 Marder 1A3 and 5 CV9040C.

Most often, these armored vehicles were hit by mines, or struck by drones or anti-tank missiles or rockets. It is precisely against this type of threat that the APS Trophy and Iron Fist must intervene, to increase the survivability of armored vehicles and their crews in combat.

Hard-kill and Soft-kill APS to restore survivability to armored vehicles

Thus, the US Army was able to determine, during tests, that the Iron Fist installed on an M2 Bradley was able to intercept and destroy a rocket or an anti-tank missile, in 70% of cases, or more than two times out of three.

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