DARPA's Iron Curtain Active Protection System

[Falewick]

Israelis had this for sale like 5 years ago but the US had to go with an overpriced and outright crazy option of shooting the incoming missile down with another missile - by Raytheon (now scrapped). Biggest threat to US troops is corruption.

[hispanicuscorpus]

If you fire from a building straight down, does it work

[AbortFlight]

It's like the Avenger from C&C Generals, except with less lasers.

[OldForeignMusic]

I wonder what poor bastard got stuck with the job of driving that hummer during all those test runs?

[DragonGamer9]

@HaloPokemon5Master Everything has it's flaws. It won't always work. The point is that it increases the chance of survival, but does not eliminate the chance of death.

[Luckzzz]

This is old .. Imagine the tech available now!!! :-o

[TheTophar]

@Luckzzz google: Trophy LV

[Luckzzz]

@TheTophar I didn't find a link for what is it.. Can you post the link in my inbox buddy?? Thanks!!!

[Luckzzz]

@TheTophar Thanks buddy.. I will post the link here: rafael.co.il/marketing/SIP_STO­RAGE/FILES/5/1155.pdf

[Hydorior]

Cracked :)

[FuturePants]

Imagine if all the effort time money and resources we and other countries have put into weapons development used that time to cure disease, advance technology and find new ways to mass produce food and clean water.

Hell if we can invent shockwave forcefields we can invent semi-free energy

[0Biopass0]

@FuturePants It's called nuclear bro. Sadly, a bunch of idiots decided that because we used to have shit technology for it, we can't use it now, even though it's about as failproof as any system can get (and doesn't do anything even if it does fail... looking at you, pebblebed reactors).

[FuturePants]

@0Biopass0 I agree to some extent but Nuclear power produces waste and uses fuel... fuel that will eventually run out.

no what I meant was geo-thermal, wind, aquatic tidal generators, some well-placed dams (unlike north korea) solar energy etc etc

We have clean options for power, and recent technological advances that easily allow for global free energy.

although nuclear power is a MUCH better alternative to most of our methods it is still non-renewable and produces dangerous waste.

[FuturePants]

@FuturePants I noticed you lacked mentioning the issue with nuclear materials being a limited resource and NOONE can GUARANTEE that waste will be disposed of properly and safely... Humans are fallible and cutting costs and increasing profit being the most important thing means that it just isn't an option.

If all people united then it would serve a great way to support us until we could finish building renewable sources, but if we all stopped being flawed this would be a utopia anyway.

[0Biopass0]

@FuturePants The US is tearing dams down due to environmental impact. Nobody wants wind turbines in their backyards, and environmentalists bitch about how many birds they kill. While normally fine solutions, the US has gone full retard, as usual, and is condemning even these once 'green' solutions.

Geothermal? A bit expensive there bro. We're not like Iceland.

Nuclear: Dangerous waste? Pebble beds. Read up on them. Running out of fuel? lolno.

[iHateSpoilerz]

WARNING! Iron Curtain activated!

[EricToTheScionti]

Definitely fake and most certainly gay.

[MrGcmorris]

@EricToTheScionti actually its not

[EricToTheScionti]

@MrGcmorris hurrr itrolll u. I am well aware, just fucking around. ;)

[Halo1Pokemon1Master]

Two years later, we will have energy shields.

[tingshens]

they should integrate this into those Chinooks thats getting shot down all day in Afgan....

[HaloPokemon5Master]

@tingshens If it's a solid wall of bullets being fired at them, then this system won't make much difference. The stream will break through eventually.

[THENINTENDOLUMINARY]

Problem? terrorists

[xm16vulcan]

Few year before I saw a concept of this. Few years later I dropped my jaw.

[silverknight173]

Red Alert also has this technology lol

[theChotkiyOne]

now waiting for Metal Gear Solid 2 "electromagnetic shield' that Fortune and Ocelot had

[hotrod4you2]

its to big, i think its got to be much smaller and can fire more than 1 time. this should have been r&d and place on all nato veh in iraq&afgan yrs ago word 1

[wiredlord]

Well it also proves that the DARPA are rts fans

[TheNecromancer077]

Umm the humvee really has to wield the radar or its invisible?

[lytvinovsky]

It took US and Israeli general brasshats 28 years (the time that have passed since Drozd entered production line) to comprehend APS value to AFVs on the battlefield? And they've made their decision finally at the time when there're cheap countermeasures exists on arms market. What took you so long, guys? Though in this particular case I doubt it's efficiency since the biggest AFV-killer when fighting insurgents is roadside bomb.

BTW what has happened to Quick Kill, was it abandoned?

[ViperAleks]

That would be good to put this system on helmet of each soldier. :-)

[rkmit1]

РПГ-29 вам в зад,ещё бы с рогатки стреляли бы.Показуха для военных чиновников.РПГ-29 СМЯЛ БЫ ЭТО В КАКУ !!!

[Yamalishe]

@rkmit1 и чо? А РПГ-7 не снял-бы.

[hotrod4you2]

@Yamalishe KSCNAISCHOAUI DCNWSONCOAQ DFWSENFCW? >?

[davidds0]

i think trophy is better...

[sErgEantaEgis12]

Lawl we got those in 2011 and in Halo they invented them in 2552...

[TheVoiceOfReason93]

What's a CM?

[brownwidow1]

in slow motion you can see the missle hitting chuck norris

[VaporOTTdrumz01]

@brownwidow1 chuck norris moved to fast to be seen deflecting the missle even in slo mo

[keno2468]

That is stupid the person inside would get injured by the force

[PirateMcSandwich]

don't run up and try to punch the side of your humvee now

[Malconeous]

HOLY SHIT THANK YOU CRACKED

[loveisraelland]

poor system sompare to the trophy system

watch?v=YGF7x3TVNCQ&feature=re­lated

[07751434]

seriously, if the western military was coming for me i'd just roll over and die. You can't beat us.

[britishbulldog2008]

This is old, the British M.O.D has had these in testing since before 2002, a warrior APC withstood multiple hits from a rpg-7 launcher without a scratch, they are now talking about reducing the weight of the armour by 70% if all tests are passed successfully to improve speed and maneuverability on the battlefield.

The concept of a force field and how to make one comes from Nazi Germany in ww2 they were going to make them but didn't due to losing the war.

[strummer1708]

Well it's official we have fucking forcefields now

[Failcard]

All we need to to is make a smaller variant. And RPGs will be obsolete.

[Tuckerscreator]

Shields at 60% and holding!

[CyberianHusky74]

It kind of looks like the countermeasure is a propelled thermite charge.

I don't give a rats ass who had the first operational active defense system. This one could be deployed on more vehicles and save more lives TODAY.

[twominutesremaining]

this is so incredibly gay. if those faggots where real men, they would let the rocket hit them head on and see who's the stronger one. gaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy

[ilovehd831]

@twominutesremaining Technology wins. I suppose the soldiers who wielded the crossbow in the time of bows and arrows were "gay", yet they destroyed the enemy because they could kill so many more. We'll use our brains to win the war. We'll be victorious and "gay", meanwhile you be brave and dead.

[9pinkyandthebrain]

@twominutesremaining then US solders would die and the would be"gaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy"

[Pokekevin]

Im wondering how much weight this will add to the vehicles

[carlwal01]

it would be better if it had a force feild surrending it like a globe

[gonadcancervictim]

I bet the best way to avoid rpgs and ied's is to stay out of quagmires.

[9pinkyandthebrain]

the DARPA chief Donald Anderson was in charge of overseeing this project

[RaveNeveRaven]

@9pinkyandthebrain BUT... WHAT ABOUT THE PENTAGON!?

[9pinkyandthebrain]

@RaveNeveRaven it was a super secret "BLACK OPS PROJECT"! NOBODY WAS SUPPOSED TO KNOW ABOUT IT EVEN THE PENTAGON!

[gorf1]

genetic mutator is next

[IsraeliXdude]

Iron curtain, Iron fist.... wonder how it will operate against threats from above

[Stunna2404]

as sen in mw2

[9pinkyandthebrain]

@Stunna2404 screw you. it is in red alert! get your freakin video games right!

[EternalAu]

all we need now is a chronosphere

[NaziKitty]

Somewhere in the world...Westwood studios is laughing their asses off.

"THEY TOLD US COMMAND AND CONQUER WAS UNREALISTIC, WELL LOOK AT THE WORLD NOW BITCHES!"

[9pinkyandthebrain]

@NaziKitty iron curtain FTW!

[GasPuch62]

@NaziKitty and you don't have to wait to use it!

[USureRConfused]

Good shit! Field it!

[TheGreatDefective]

What. This is just making war unfair.

[CNdailyNews]

@TheGreatDefective

Actually, the Russians were R&D'ing Hardkill APS measures since the 80's, before the U.S. They also started employing this in the 80's.

[Jospehporta]

@CNdailyNews actually they didn't, sorry.

[bf2lover42]

*4 shots later...*

just a scratch

[noobsincorp]

the hajis' worst nightmare....

other than relaizing he's not getting 72 virgins when he blows his ass up.

[CNdailyNews]

@noobsincorp

The Iron Curtain is a good first(or first few) try of the American APSs, however, this wouldn't protect against a spam of RPG-29's.

[kayman92]

@CNdailyNews It wouldn't protect against a spam of rockets but thats the point.

insurgents just wate shitloads of ammo and rockets

[Arez64]

So. Fucking. Cool.

[Sp3llCrack3r]

Only in America

[CNdailyNews]

@Sp3llCrack3r

The Soviets developed and fielded the first Hardkill APS >.>

[Sp3llCrack3r]

@CNdailyNews Well arn't you cool.

[CNdailyNews]

@Sp3llCrack3r

Cool and Correct.

[9pinkyandthebrain]

@Sp3llCrack3r with Larry the cable guy

[Shalek]

This is so freaking cool.

[Keihzaru]

wow, pretty awesome, it't not like money could be used to look for a cure for cancer, or help starving children and homeless peopel get a dignified life, nop, lets look for new ways to kill each other more!

[ziggamon]

@Keihzaru

You failed to see the point...

...it PROTECTS you from getting killed.

[Calcos323]

@ziggamon It may protect you from getting killed, but thatr means that you get to live to KILL ANOTHER DAY. People don't seem to get the point that we are as much of an enemy as they are. Get rid of guns, but use this technology against barbarians? Sure, I'd like that. However, we are still shooting back, and that's where the problem lies.

[Kijekatana]

@Calcos323 Although I'd honestly like the thought that we could stop fighting completely, Its kind of hard to argue the idea of reasoning and peace when a rocket launcher gets involved somewhere along the line. That, and the part when they reload.

[GluStikz]

@Keihzaru Completely irrelevant and ignorant comment. This sort of technology saves lives. Shame on you and your stupidity.

[zaco21]

@Keihzaru

There's a problem. Overpopulating the planet is what that problem is called. Indians and Africans are the best example, the Chinese took some measures to stop their population from growing too much.

[Sp3llCrack3r]

@Keihzaru Effin retard this is designed to protect lives, my best friend died in Iraq from a IED on a standard patrol. Tech like this would of saved his life.

[ShadowmancerLord]

@Keihzaru Soooo.... would you rather have (generally) honorable soldiers alive, or people who will use women and children as suicide bombers and hide inside civilian buildings to protect themselves?

[CNdailyNews]

@ShadowmancerLord

Common stereotype, most insurgent groups do not "use" women and children as weapons. You should note that Male suicide bombers would not carry people(in seldom cases only fellow suicide bombers) with them on an attack run.

[ShadowmancerLord]

@CNdailyNews That used to be true, but not anymore. If you look at Iraq and Afghanistan now, they've started running out of capable men and have started sending women and children out to do their dirty work. I understand that they're reluctant to do that, but it seems to be more a religious thing than them not WANTING to do it.

I'm only talking about our troops' current situation, you understand. Not some other hypothetical situation.

[Saiko47]

Holy shit. 2142 Active Defenses is a reality.

Probably scare the shit out of the people inside but at least their alive.

[LUCCARDI]

shhot the god damn radar first bwahahah found the loop hole

[GnariusFestivus]

that is pretty much amazing.

1 thing I don't get - whats the 'CM'? like a laser?

[zaco21]

@GnariusFestivus

It stands for Counter Measure!

[GnariusFestivus]

@zaco21 ahh, how could I have not known this

[Tw1St3DSt33L]

wow...more protection to a target -> make bigger weapon.

Bigger weapon versus weak fleshy human= squishy squishy

[emenHX]

This looks bad, Rafael's Trophy APS and the one Raytheon is working on looks much promising, a big NO for DARPA Iron Curtain if you ask me.

[ILLESTwhiteNI66A911]

Now only if we can implement it!

[krhonhos]

wow  esto merece aplausos

[dirx103]

OH SHIT!!!!

[greenmachine13]

HOLY FUCKIN' SHIT DUDE.

[Bombizzen]

Sure it matters who has the biggest stick, but it matters a hell lot more who is swinging it.

[cenafan1920]

@BrothersLuvUm OO-FUCKIN-RAH

[SamHagagaga]

HOLY SHIT!

[dlan4327]

Very clever idea, instead of strengthening the armour they detonate the missile before it can hit the car.

Is it possible to create a system that can shoot the RPG projectile when it's further away? Or is that too difficult?

[Raxer21]

@dlan4327 : Isnt this basically the first prototype "force field" in a way >.>

[revolrz22]

@dlan4327

Most proposed active protection systems fire a projectile (be it a solid shot, buckshot-type spread, or a guided missile) straight at the incoming threat from a standoff range far greater than this.

In fact, this APS is the only one I've seen that operates by firing down at the target which makes its effectiveness against top attack munitions suspect.

[andydragoon121]

@dlan4327 Maybe, but it keeps it close to stop collateral damage

[Kl4pp5tuhl]

Also interesting: superconductors-as-shields for Tanks.

DARPA FTW!!!

[senorchelsea]

they've put up their protective blisters!

[StuckinFoner]

just fucking wow

[STARD00R]

now the russians just need to invent something that will teleport the hmmwv right in the middle on the sea.. the world would just be perfect..

[TheHeik]

well this has already been trumped by another system called trophy. It blows them up long before they get to the vehicle. And it takes up less space too.

[NeoTechni]

@TheHeik Link?

[sniperifle]

So bayonets are obsolete now? Where's my Kirovs!

[SP441TheOnly]

This was made by DARPA... eh....

Next on: Giant Bipedal dinosaur robots capable of firing lasers outta their dongs.

[FleetOfRetribution]

Needs more Chronosphere. Owait. We already tried that. People ended up stuck to the hull of a ship.

[ivyturtle]

Oh yeah? Where's Natasha and my blimps?

I once was professor.

[Shack11]

I think that this is completely and totally necessary for an event of such awesomeness.

U-S-A!

U-S-A!

U-S-A!

[1wps3694]

I don't get it. Why are the allies producing an iron curtain? Something is not right here...

[Vroengard24]

@1wps3694

LOL Dude Epic Win!

[Darius1Roberti]

The future is now, apparently.

[Darius1Roberti]

The future is now, apparently.

[Tuxlar]

There just won't be much of a point to having wars in the future. Whoever has the best tech might as well by default be the winner.

[Postscript624]

@Tuxlar One of the most basic principles of war is that weapons alone will not determine the outcome. Eventually it always comes down to strategy, commitment, and human error.

[Tuxlar]

@Postscript624 That is until technology is able to phase out human interaction from the process completely.

[Postscript624]

@Tuxlar Assuming that this occurs before we reach some theoretical technological singularity our weapons will still be weaker in terms of intelligence than the average human and therefore can still be (theoretically) beaten by men armed with the most basic of tools.

[Tuxlar]

@Postscript624 Except your "theoretically" starts looking like a nasty exponential curve reaching up to that point. It'll be impossibly hard for people without access to advanced tools to even begin to compete, after a while.

Already is, in some respects.

[WylyK]

Warning! An Iron Curtain has been detected.

[mofine4ever]

@WylyK OMFG I KNOW RIGHT? RA2 I THOUGHT IT WAS FAKE LOL did u know the weather control and tesla coil are real too? :P whoever made ra2 were smart ppl

[jsplit212]

@WylyK Red Alert 2! 

[samesiran]

AT field :3

[gamemeister27]

HAAAAXXXXXXXX

[lizardboy16]

You smell that? That's the smell of a thousand terrorists shitting their pants. Poor suckers.

[Vroengard24]

@lizardboy16

LOL

[635574]

how do you deflect RPG that explodes before it hits the target and sends a big block of metal through the armor? to every defense, there is a new offense.

[TheDeathclawhunter]

you have to shoot its weak point for massive damage

[moofassa22]

Their next project is the Vacuum Imploder.

[dragonmastersea]

Damn, thats like force field technology

[yappertrap]

will make great police barricades

[roroguez]

NICE!

[LouistheHedgehog]

For a time I thought they were taking ideas from Command and Conquer: Red Alert.

[gio31brasil]

best game ever!

[LuckyNinja99]

@LouistheHedgehog Indeed. Where's my chronosphere!?

[almsfsdjgx]

@LouistheHedgehog Haha, yes! :D

[GnariusFestivus]

@LouistheHedgehog probably were

[CNdailyNews]

@LouistheHedgehog

Russia designed and fielded Drozd Hardkill APS in the 80s >.<

[namrur2]

Does roof protected? Is this a mobile system?

[twinoceans]

@namrur2 This is used to counter insurgent's ambush and such, thus no roof protection from above.

[drVitall]

Wow! Awesome job DARPA and Artis engineers.

A huge step forward from CIWS - style protection systems.

[leszek29]

Is this in pregnancies too little

[gardevour]

Can somebody explain how does that work? Is it like when the missile comes, the IC somehow brings it to earth?

[arsipaani]

@gardevour

by shooting it's ammo straight down, forcing missile to explode.

[arctictimberwolf]

interferometer

[EdofEngland]

Yeeeeaaaaaasssh, and how many pretty bullets does it take to cripple that insanely expensive system?

How about you just stop trying to stomp on peasents in a pointless, endless war?

[arctictimberwolf]

hahahahahahahahahaahaha not bullets

[humaner]

Awesome endless tech gadgets for killing human beings in endless wars.Neat

[arsipaani]

@humaner

hmm isn't that for saving lives ?

[TXcodeDesigner]

Interesting... but, it's just an alternate form of active-armor used on M1 tanks without the armor plates.

A better method would be to use this Iron Curtain radar system to detect the RPG before it's launched and have it deflagrate it in the hand of the sad terrorist(s). Now the name - Iron Curtain - will have some significant meaning for repressing the terrorists with their own weapons.

[mynameisbobtoo]

I like that better...or even a system that burns out the bridge wires in the eid's used in IEDs ...Have you seen the water and plastic explosive devices the brits are using?

[amartinjoe]

WHOAH. just.......amazing.

[itsbeiko]

holy shit! this is some like electromagnetic shield stuff! awesome!!

[Dubaifreak]

That is so awesome ! but they should increase the Blast Radius so there WONT be any damage at all! =P

[sh3lbyguy]

I know it's just a prototype but Damn that's sick!! if only they could use it.

[FatoDrunkoAndoStupid]

Interesting. Neat. Doubt it'd be as impressive if the RPG hit the iron curtain device. Given its likely expense and the fact that the vehicle seems to be vulnerable from both above (RPG from a rooftop) and below (IED/mine) you will not likely ever see this device used in the field.

It's still an impressive demonstration of a device can accurately track and kill a RPG. This part of the research will be useful on more realistic projects of the future.

[ronalderik]

Awesome!!! like alien mothership protected on movies!!!! that ROCKS!!!

[USAAIRPOWER]

Iron Curtain Active Protection System suck it still make some damage to Humvee. What a bout Quick Kill active protection system. The Quick Kill active protection system will destroyed incoming RPG, Anti Tank Missiles, & grenades. Right Now the US Army & Marine Corps need Quick Kill active protection system on their Strykers, MRAP, & other military vehicles in Afghanistan to end the war quickly.

[kryjchek]

I think you missed the point of the Iron Curtain. It's designed to minimise collateral damage.

The Quick Kill's potential for collateral damage will be just as impressive as its results. I wouldn't want to be anywhere near it when it goes off.

[Mandibela]

And what happens if you walk to the vehicle with a hammer in your hand? Counter-measured hand?

[roidroid]

how much of the resulting visible explosion was from the fired Countermeasure, and how much was the RPG itself.

i'm curious.

What would it look like if it fired the countermeasure with no RPG at all. Would the resulting explosion look similar?

awesome