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JDW - March 14, 2007Mar. 7, 2007
Israeli armor may be used in Baghdad
By YAAKOV KATZ
JPost.com
A new type of armor made by Israel Military Industries (IMI) can help the US military diminish the threat of improvised explosive devices (IED) in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to IMI.
The specially designed Steel Wall armor, developed at IMI's branch near Ramat Hasharon, significantly improves a vehicle's ability to survive an IED attack, IMI sources said.
IMI CEO Avi Felder is in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, to display the product at the US Army's annual defense exposition on Thursday.
The IDF faced the threat of IED attacks in the Gaza Strip and during last summer's war in Lebanon. IED attacks are used by insurgents in Iraq and have killed hundreds of civilians and soldiers. Recently, the Bush administration said IEDs and other weaponry in Iraq were coming from Iran.
IMI sources said Steel Wall provides protection against IEDs that detonate and release shrapnel, including metal balls or a large piece of metal, into the side of a military vehicle. IEDs are usually homemade bombs placed in an artillery or mortar shell.
Development of Steel Wall was recently completed. It is made out of composite light-weight materials that can be fitted on the side and underside of an armored military vehicle. The armor absorbs the energy from the blast of an IED and prevents it from penetrating the vehicle.
The US Army has not yet ordered the product, but ongoing high-level talks had a good chance of securing a contract, IMI sources said.
"This was developed to meet Israeli and American needs," one IMI source said.
Last week, Rafael (Armaments Development Authority) announced that it had won a $37 million contract to supply 60 Golan multipurpose modular armored vehicles to the US Marines for use in Iraq.
IMI unveils counter-EFP armour for light vehicles
Alon Ben-David JDW Correspondent
Tel Aviv
IMI has developed a new armour designed to counter the effects of explosively formed projectiles
Israel Military Industries (IMI) has developed a new armour solution for light vehicles that, it claims, is capable of defeating explosively formed projectiles (EFPs).
Presented at the Association of the US Army (AUSA) 2007 Winter Symposium and Exhibition held from 7 to 9 March, the new armour - dubbed Steel Wall - has been developed to counter all improvised explosive devices.
An EFP has a liner in the shape of a shallow dish that is transformed into a projected compact body of metal able to penetrate armour at a standoff range. The projectile can easily punch through the protection of light- to medium-armoured vehicles, delivering a wide spray of semi-molten metal and vehicle armour backspall intended to penetrate the vehicle's interior, injure its crew and damage its systems.
The Israel Defence Force (IDF) witnessed a sustained use of EFPs by the Islamic Resistance (the armed wing of the Lebanese Shi'ite Party of God, Hizbullah) against its forces in Lebanon in the mid-1990s. A recent development has been the widespread introduction of EFPs in improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by insurgents against coalition and local security forces in Iraq.
"For many years now Israeli forces have been dealing with IED threats and specifically with the threat of EFPs introduced in Lebanon by Hizbullah," Eyal Ben-Haim, head of IMI Land Systems Division, told Jane's. "Eighteen months ago we decided independently to seek solutions for this threat, as currently no effective solutions exist.
"The armour consists of special composite materials developed to give maximum protection in minimal weight," said Ben-Haim. IMI will offer the armour as tailored suites for light armoured fighting vehicles, armoured personnel carriers and support vehicles.
According to IMI, Steel Wall has been developed, tested and proven to sustain an EFP hit and prevent penetration to the vehicle as well as fragmentation from IEDs and light weapons fire. IMI is also developing the armour to provide protection from rockets.
Additional reporting by Robin Hughes JDW Deputy Editor, London
Steel Wall after sustaining a hit from an explosively formed projectile (top) and a fragmentation IED hit (left). (IMI)