LRDE has initiated work on Radar units of active protection system for Next Gen Tanks reports Twitter handle Alpha Defense.

Project Requirement: The present population of T90 tks is qty 1074 and will reach qty 1193 by Sep 2020. By the end of 14th plan the total population of tank T-90 will be 1,657 and this equipment will be the mainstay of the Mechanised Forces up to 2040-50. Tanks T-90s are presently devoid of an Active Protection System and only equipped with ERA panels which provide limited survivability in present battle field scenario.

A requirement has been felt to acquire a Active Protection System capable of not only detecting an ensuing attack but also defeating it, thereby enhancing own survivability. 

Key Technology Involved

(a) Soft Kill

(i) Uses jamming to confuse in coming missiles
(ii) Uses decoys, smoke, electro-optical sigs, IR or  Laser for jamming

(b) Hard Kill

(i) Attempts to detect & destroy incoming projectile
(ii) Uses sensors to detect eg. MMW radar
(iii) Uses counter measures like fragmentation charges, steel bars, high pressure shock waves to destroy the projectile

About Active Protection System

An active protection system is a system (usually for a military application) designed to prevent anti-tank missiles/projectiles from acquiring and/or destroying a target.

Electronic countermeasures that alter the electromagnetic, acoustic or other signature(s) of a target thereby altering the tracking and sensing behaviour of an incoming threat (e.g., guided missile) are designated soft-kill active protection measures (“SKAPS”).

Measures that physically counterattack an incoming threat thereby destroying/altering its payload/warhead in such a way that the intended effect on the target is severely impeded are designated hard-kill active protection measures (“HKAPS”).