The importance of Active Protection Systems (APS) has only increased as threats to armour have evolved to the point where passive protection systems are not enough. New armour-penetrating technologies and techniques, which are more prevalent in near-peer conflicts, vehicle weight limitations, and the evolution of more efficient sensors and effectors have set APS systems to become mainstream. In this interview, we discuss the UK’s APS efforts with Tom Newbery CPhys from the Platform Survivability Group at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, the UK’s foremost defence research organisation. In this interview, we discuss:

• Trends in armoured vehicle survivability
• Challenges and opportunities in developing APS
• Implications for Industry and Forces