The Marines are fitting their tanks with anti-missile tech
They also plan to start using drones that can spot the enemy from afar.
The US Marine Corps believes it's time to upgrade their trusty tanks with technology that can detect and deflect incoming missiles. In fact, it's joining forces with the Army to test out the Israeli Trophy Active Protection System (APS). When Trophy's sensors detect that there's an anti-tank missile on the way, it fires small rounds to deflect them. It can also use jammers to mislead the enemy. According to Lt. Gen. Robert Walsh, they're seeing "much more sophisticated threat(s) on the ground," and adding more armor to the vehicles will just slow them down. They needed to turn to high-tech solutions to protect the tanks and their drivers, like how the Navy is developing new technologies for its ships.
The Corps is already tweaking some M1 Abrams tanks, one of the heaviest in the world, to be able accommodate a Trophy system. But that's not all the Marines are doing to shore up their vehicles' defenses. Walsh says they're also investing in drones designed to spot enemies before they can launch anti-tank missiles.
