Plasan Unveils New Combat Vehicle Armor Against Top-Attack and RPG Threats at MSPO 2026.

Israeli defense company Plasan is unveiling a new generation of combat vehicle protection systems at MSPO 2026 in Kielce, with the solutions shown to Army Recognition designed to counter mines, rocket-propelled grenades, top-attack weapons, and advanced anti-armor threats. The approach aims to raise crew survivability while limiting the weight increases that can reduce vehicle mobility and battlefield endurance.

The protection package combines active occupant protection, lightweight add-on armor and non-explosive reactive technology to defeat threats from multiple directions. By improving protection without relying on heavier armor alone, Plasan is addressing a wider military shift toward keeping armored vehicles survivable against increasingly diverse anti-vehicle weapons while preserving tactical mobility.

Related Topic: Plasan Unveils New Vehicle Survivability Armor to Protect Crews From Mines, RPGs, EFPs and Top Attacks

Blast test comparison showing occupant leg movement with and without Plasan’s LAPS. During a mine explosion, the system rapidly lifts the legs away from the vehicle floor, reducing the transfer of blast energy and the risk of lower-limb injuries. (Picture source: Plasan)

During the MSPO 2026 defense exhibition, Plasan is showcasing LAPS, TAPS, ATHENA and its Hybrid Slat Fence as complementary survivability technologies for armored fighting vehicles. Their operational significance lies in addressing threats arriving from below, above and around a vehicle as recent conflicts continue to expose vulnerabilities that conventional frontal and side armor alone cannot solve.

In a video filmed by Army Recognition at MSPO 2026, Plasan details how its latest protection technologies are intended to create a layered defensive architecture rather than relying on a single armor solution. This approach reflects the increasingly multidirectional nature of armored warfare, where crews can simultaneously face mines and improvised explosive devices, RPG attacks, artillery fragments, shaped charges, explosively formed penetrators and weapons striking vulnerable roof areas.

At MSPO 2026 in Poland, Israeli defense company Plasan presents advanced combat vehicle armor designed to counter some of today’s most dangerous battlefield threats.

One of the most distinctive technologies presented is LAPS, or Leg Active Protection System, developed specifically to reduce lower-limb injuries during an underbody mine or explosive blast. Integrated into Plasan's Energy Attenuating Seat, LAPS detects the characteristic signature of a mine explosion and reacts within milliseconds by lifting the occupant's legs before the rapidly accelerating floor can transfer the full shock load through the feet and lower limbs. The system is intended to distinguish a genuine blast from normal shocks generated by off-road driving, potholes or routine vehicle movement.

The technology addresses a key limitation of conventional mine protection: an armored hull may remain structurally intact while occupants still suffer severe injuries from vertical acceleration and floor deformation. By combining LAPS with passive blast-management measures such as energy-attenuating seating and underbody protection, vehicle designers can improve crew survivability without relying exclusively on heavier floor structures. This is particularly relevant for light and medium armored vehicles, where additional mine protection can otherwise increase vehicle height, mass, and center of gravity while reducing mobility and transportability.

The Top Attack Protection System, or TAPS, addresses threats arriving from above. Installed as add-on armor across upper hull and body surfaces, TAPS is designed to reinforce areas that traditionally receive less protection than the frontal and side arcs, while defending against kinetic threats, artillery fragments, and various top-attack submunitions. Plasan states that the system has already undergone testing with several Western armed forces and has been approved for field deployment.

The operational requirement for roof protection has expanded rapidly with the proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles, loitering munitions, precision artillery and other weapons capable of attacking armored vehicles from elevated angles. Small drones carrying explosive payloads can now exploit roof areas that were historically protected mainly against fragments rather than direct attack. TAPS therefore reflects a broader shift toward distributed vehicle protection, in which roof armor must complement electronic warfare, counter-unmanned aerial vehicle systems, signature reduction and active protection measures if armored units are to retain freedom of maneuver under persistent aerial surveillance.

For RPG protection, Plasan is displaying its Hybrid Slat Fence, or HSF, a modular composite armor system designed to defeat rocket-propelled grenades while keeping additional mass low. Unlike some net-based or node-based systems that can sag or shift during vehicle operation, the HSF uses rigid composite bars designed to maintain their protective geometry around the vehicle. This is particularly important around transparent armor areas, where the system must maintain driver and crew visibility while still creating the stand-off conditions required to interfere with an incoming RPG warhead.

The comparatively low weight of a composite slat system can offer a significant advantage over traditional steel cages, which can increase vehicle width, suspension loads, and overall combat weight. Reducing that penalty helps preserve tactical mobility in urban terrain and confined routes while limiting the impact on strategic transport. The modular architecture also allows damaged sections to be replaced and protection kits to be tailored according to mission requirements, supporting the broader trend toward configurable survivability packages discussed in [Army Recognition coverage of modern armored vehicle protection].

The fourth major solution shown at MSPO 2026 is ATHENA, or Advanced Thickening Energetic Armor, a non-explosive reactive armor designed to counter shaped-charge projectiles, RPG warheads, explosively formed penetrators and kinetic penetrators. ATHENA combines composite armor with an expanding interlayer that reacts when struck, disrupting the incoming threat without using the explosive materials found in conventional explosive reactive armor. The concept is intended to deliver a reactive protective effect while reducing hazards associated with explosive armor modules.

Eliminating explosives can provide important operational and integration advantages, particularly for combat vehicles working in close proximity to dismounted infantry or operating in environments where handling and safety constraints are significant. ATHENA could also offer greater flexibility in where reactive protection is installed on the hull or turret, while maintaining protection against multiple threat types. This becomes increasingly important as modern armored vehicles must defend not only against traditional frontal anti-tank attacks but also against threats striking the roof, sides, rear, and other historically less-protected areas.

Taken together, LAPS, TAPS, Hybrid Slat Fence and ATHENA illustrate a broader shift in armored vehicle survivability from simply adding thicker armor toward matching specialized protection technologies to specific threat mechanisms. LAPS addresses blast injury to occupants, TAPS strengthens vulnerable upper surfaces, Hybrid Slat Fence provides lightweight RPG protection, and ATHENA introduces a non-explosive reactive layer against shaped-charge and kinetic threats.

For European and NATO armed forces, this approach is increasingly relevant because additional protection cannot be considered independently of mobility, payload, and future growth potential. Excessive armor weight increases stress on suspensions and drivetrains, affects bridge-crossing limits and strategic transport, and can reduce capacity for new sensors, counter-drone equipment, and electronic warfare systems. Modular armor therefore allows commanders and vehicle manufacturers to balance protection and mobility according to mission and threat environment.

This layered survivability concept also complements the broader evolution examined in [Army Recognition analysis of NATO armored vehicle modernization] and [Army Recognition coverage of counter-drone protection for combat vehicles]. As drones, advanced anti-tank weapons, and precision artillery evolve faster than traditional vehicle procurement cycles, upgrading protection on existing fleets is becoming almost as important as the initial armor specification.

Plasan's MSPO 2026 display consequently reflects a wider transformation in armored warfare. By combining active blast injury mitigation, lightweight RPG protection, reinforced roof armor, and non-explosive reactive technology, the Israeli company is seeking to improve crew survival against multidirectional threats while preserving the mobility and operational flexibility required for modern mechanized combat.

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Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.