HERNDON, Va. — The Iron Curtain active protection system has been updated and improved following tests last year by the Army on its Stryker vehicle, according to a news release issued by Artis, which manufactures the system.

In 2018, the Iron Curtain APS completed characterization tests for an Army non-development item effort. “Both the Army and Artis learned a great deal about integrating an APS onto a lighter platform,” said Artis CEO Keith Brendley. “These lessons learned will be invaluable in integrating the system in the future.”

Overall during testing, Iron Curtain had a very high probability of kill during live-fire testing. The NDI program manager said in August 2018 that Iron Curtain “generally performed well as a system,” and said that the system was “generally was able to hit its targets,” according to news accounts. The program manager noted that the system wasn’t as mature as hoped. Brendley agreed and said, “There were some expected maturity issues; however, those issues have been addressed and the system is ready for fielding.”

During testing, which ran from 2017-18, the system scheduled slipped twice -– once for three months, primarily to address cost-savings issues, and once for three months for a range issue not related to the system -– for a total of six months. During NDI testing, the system worked perfectly, defeating threats during adverse weather conditions, including all tests in rain conditions conducted to military specifications.

“The bottom line for the Army is the system worked,” said Brendley. He said Iron Curtain has been tested extensively by the military since 2005 and has always performed well. Before the NDI tests, testing was performed in 2013 during the Army’s Ground Combat Vehicle program, and Iron Curtain scored a perfect 100 percent.

The system is part of the Army’s Modular Active Protection System (MAPS) program, and the Army has informed Artis that Iron Curtain remains a viable option to integrate onto its ground platforms.