Mainly employed for military applications, an Active Protection System (APS) is a system designed to give protection to squad and vehicles by detecting and intercepting line-of-sight anti-tank missiles or projectiles and by preventing them from destroying the target. Active Protection Systems can be soft-kill measures or systems or hard-kill systems.
Soft-kill measures basically alter the tracking and sensing behaviour of the incoming threat, while hard-kill systems counterattack the threat and destroy/alter the payload so as to disrupt its intended effect. So, APS can detect, track, and neutralize the incoming threat projectile before it can hit the target. APS helps minimize collateral damage and it is usually installed on combat vehicles.
The global Active Protection System market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 6.5% during 2016 to 2022 and reach USD 4.15 billion by 2022. Factors such as fast-paced development of anti-tank missiles and improvements in new-generation anti-tank missiles will increase the demand for better and more improved Active Protection Systems.
Manufacturers of combat vehicles are already installing new APS to ensure better protection to their armored vehicles along with the crew. For example, in September 2017, the US Army signed a contract with General Dynamics for installing the Trophy system on both existing and new combat vehicles of the US Army. Such developments will give a major boost to the global Active Protection System market.
Another trend that will increase the demand for APS is the implementation of RPG shield initiatives. Other factors that are expected to drive the market for Active Protection System include geopolitical instabilities, increasing armed conflicts and terrorism, and automation of defense systems. However, the increasing price of radar systems may restrain the growth of the market to some extent.
The US and India are expected to play an important role in the global Active Protection System market. The dominance of the US can be explained by increasing research and development activities undertaken in the country for the development of technologically advanced combat systems.
The Indian Active Protection System market is expected to grow at a very high CAGR during 2016 to 2022, owing to initiatives taken for modernizing the existing fleets and delivering these systems for land and naval platforms. The European market is also expected to exhibit significant growth due to increasing investments in APS and related technologies by Russia and the UK.
The Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow at the highest rate in the global Active Protection Systems market in the upcoming years. This can be mainly attributed to the rapid modernization of military in countries such as China, India, Japan, and South Korea.
The major players operating in the global Active Protection System market are, Airbus SAS, Rheinmetall AG, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Israel Military Industries, Saab AB, Raytheon Company, Artic, LLC, Aselsan A.S., Konstruktorskoye Byuro Mashynostroyeniya (KBM), Krauss Maffei Wegmann, and Safran Electronics & Defense, among others.
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