Israel's Plasan Unveils Three-Layer Armored Vehicle Protection Suite Against Drone-Dropped Munitions and Loitering Weapons
Israeli protection systems manufacturer Plasan has launched a new three-layer armored vehicle protection suite comprising the ATHENA advanced composite armor, TAPS top-attack protection system, and LAPS leg active protection system. The suite addresses contemporary battlefield threats including shaped charges, drone-dropped munitions, loitering munitions, and mine blasts. Several components have already completed multi-nation military evaluations and entered serial production.
Highlights
- Plasan's three-layer protection suite comprises ATHENA composite armor, TAPS top-attack system, and LAPS leg active protection, each targeting distinct modern battlefield threats.
- TAPS weighs approximately 17 kg per square meter and has completed military evaluations in multiple Western nations, entering serial production on several armored vehicle programs.
- ATHENA uses an expanding composite armor layer with no energetic materials to defeat shaped charges, RPGs, EFPs, and 30/35 mm long-rod penetrators.
- LAPS activates within milliseconds of mine blast detection to lift crew members' legs before the shock wave reaches the vehicle floor, reducing lower-limb injury risk.
- The suite was developed in direct response to the widespread use of drone-dropped munitions and loitering munitions observed in the Ukraine conflict.
Israeli protection systems manufacturer Plasan has unveiled a new three-layer armored vehicle protection suite designed to counter the most prevalent battlefield threats seen in recent conflicts, including shaped-charge munitions, drone-dropped weapons, loitering munitions, and mine blasts.
Three-System Composition
The protection suite comprises three subsystems: ATHENA (Advanced Thickened High-Energy Armor), TAPS (Top Attack Protection System), and LAPS (Leg Active Protection System).
ATHENA: Advanced Composite Reactive Armor
ATHENA is a vehicle-mounted armor module engineered to defeat shaped-charge jets, RPG rockets, explosively formed penetrators (EFPs), and certain calibers of 30/35 mm long-rod penetrators.
Unlike conventional reactive armor, ATHENA reportedly contains no energetic materials. Instead, it employs an expanding composite armor layer that responds physically upon impact. The system is currently in an advanced development phase and has completed testing under operational conditions.
TAPS: Lightweight Top-Attack Protection System
TAPS is a lightweight top-attack protection system weighing approximately 17 kg per square meter, mounted on the upper surfaces of a vehicle. It is designed to counter drone-dropped grenades, loitering munitions, and artillery-delivered submunitions.
Plasan states that TAPS has been evaluated by multiple Western nation militaries and has officially entered serial production as part of several armored vehicle programs.
LAPS: Leg Active Protection System
The third component, LAPS, is an active blast-response system integrated into energy-absorbing crew seats. Upon detecting a mine blast, the system activates within milliseconds—before the shock wave reaches the vehicle floor—rapidly lifting the crew members' legs to significantly reduce lower-limb injury risk. The system adds no weight to the vehicle and requires no additional interior space.
Addressing Modern Battlefield Requirements
Plasan's new suite directly responds to the surge in drone-dropped munitions and loitering munition threats witnessed in recent conflicts, most notably on the Ukrainian battlefield. The development signals a rapid evolution in conventional armor protection concepts to address the asymmetric warfare challenges posed by low-cost unmanned systems.
Source / Image credit: Plasan
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