The Rheinmetall Active Defence System (ADS) for light to heavy vehicles combines performance and innovation. ADS is able to counteract various attacks thanks to the optimal interaction between individual high-tech components. Threats are detected, assessed and intercepted in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle before they reach their target. The solution for 360° protection.
Various test scenarios: 1. ADS on a test rig within a firing range defeating an anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). The warhead does not ignite and the ATGM is destroyed before the impact. Sensors are not influenced by objects nearby. 2. ADS and Rheinmetall’s ROSY (Rapid Obscuring System) installed on a test rig in a desert like environment. Before the RPG is fired, ROSY produces n instantaneous, large-area, multispectral interruption of the line of sight. 3. ADS on TPz Fuchs with multiple RPG shots, shown in different perspectives. 4. Rheinmetall Defence systems installed on an armored truck cabin: ADS hard-kill system defends against ATR/ATGM, ROSY breaks the line of sight and the weapon station is then directed into the bearing of the threat.
AMAP-ADS (active defence system) is a hard-kill active protection system (APS), developed by the German company ADS Gesellschaft für aktive Schutzsysteme, a daughter company of Rheinmetall and IBD Deisenroth Engineering (German), as part of their Advanced Modular Armor Protection protection concept. The system is also known under the name AAC in Sweden and as Shark in France. Due to its modular design it can be adapted to a broad range of vehicles. In particular, it is capable of protecting light vehicles against large caliber weapons which the vehicles’ light armor wouldn’t stop.
The system has a modular design that can be adapted to almost every vehicle; it weighs 140 kg for light vehicles and up to 500 kg for heavy vehicles. The main elements are the sensor-countermeasure modules arranged all around the vehicle. A processor determines the type and the trajectory of the approaching target. Subsequently, a countermeasure module close to the calculated impact point is activated. This countermeasure ejects “directed energy”, destroying or disrupting the approaching threat so that it cannot penetrate the vehicle.
The arrangement of sensors and countermeasures provides a hemispherical protection. The overlapping sectors of the sensor-countermeasure modules enable the system to defeat multi-attacks. Due to the short reaction time of approximately 560 microseconds, threats can be eliminated at ranges of approximately 10 m, not depending on the speed of the threat. AMAP-ADS is one of the fastest active protection systems, faster than Quick Kill, Iron Fist or Trophy. Since the countermeasures create a non-fragmenting strong directed energy beam, collateral damage to nearby troops or civilians is minimized. These are important aspects in urban environments. In comparison to other hard-kill systems, there are no moving parts. This makes ADS light and reduces power requirements. Therefore, it can be installed on lightweight vehicles.
The system is not intended to completely substitute for passive base armor. Larger caliber projectiles will only be fragmented and not entirely deflected. Therefore, a minimum of passive armor is still required to absorb the residual energy of the fragments.
