Safe in the tank: Active Protection Systems

The ADS Gesellschaft für aktive Schutzsysteme mbH (ADS GmbH), known as a pioneer for reliable and precise active hard-kill protection systems, has developed the world's first Active Protection System (APS) to the highest safety class of DIN/ISO 61508. This new ADS-Gen3 is expected to complete its certifications according to DIN/ISO 61508 SIL 3 (Safety Integrity Level) in 2018. It will be audited independently by the company tms (technisch-mathematische Studiengesellschaft mbH) in compliance with the Manual for Weapon and System Safety of the German Armed Forces.

Seven years of conceptual and development work went into the active protection system ADS, which was developed and tested according to the risk-minimizing regulations of the 'V-Modell XT'. The ADS-Gen3 now offers the world's leading consistent protection performance with a validated correct defense reaction of at least 999 out of 1000 system reactions and a potential identified at 9,999 out of 10,000 system reactions. DIN/ISO 61508 SIL 3 corresponds to the safety requirements for airbags in civilian vehicles. Here, the explosives should also not unintentionally trigger, but react correctly in the exact situations for which the systems are intended.

The new generation of ADS remains permanently in functionally safe operation, ensuring that dismounted crews, grenadiers, or uninvolved civilians in the vicinity of the vehicle protected by ADS are not exposed to avoidable risks. The functional safety of the ADS-Gen3 demonstrates a higher reliability level than the standards required, for example, in elevators, critical public infrastructure, or traffic light systems.

“Functional safety does not mean whether a system generally works and can demonstrate its performance. It is fundamentally about whether it is safe for all of us to operate such a system - as an operator or as an uninvolved person who could theoretically be affected by their presence near it,” emphasizes Dr. Ronald Meixner, program manager in the ADS development.

The combination of consistently successful protection performance, tested, among others, by the corresponding STANAG expert group of NATO, combined with the highest level of security in functional safety of DIN/ISO 61508 for users and individuals near a vehicle protected by APS defines a clear milestone.

“With the new APS generation, the company ADS GmbH underscores its role as a technical pioneer in the design and development of such systems,” says ADS Managing Director Stefan Haase. “By transferring our expertise and development standards as a vehicle supplier within the Rheinmetall Group to the APS sector, we expect to significantly accelerate the market introduction. This will enable a rapid deployment of APS to protect military vehicle crews from attacks by enemy anti-tank weapons.”

About ADS GmbH

The ADS Gesellschaft für aktive Schutzsysteme mbH, Bonn, is the world's leading pioneer for reliable and precise active hard-kill systems (Active Protection Systems, APS). As part of the Rheinmetall Group, ADS GmbH combines the consistent engineering of a vehicle supplier with the requirements of defense technology, particularly for active protection systems. In its role as a technology leader, ADS has developed the world's first reliable and high-performance APS applying the functional safety requirements for these systems.

ADS GmbH on the web: www.ads-protection.org