
A Whippany, N.J., company has developed a system that protects troops in vehicles from rocket propelled grenades. RPGs have killed or wounded thousands of U.S. soldiers in battlefields around the world.
The Shortscreen RPG Defeat System that was engineered by Mechanical Solutions Inc. comprises a number of modules that are placed around the perimeter of a combat vehicle. Each module possesses two barrels that fire a dense cloud of smooth pellets. Incoming RPGs from as close as 40 to as far away as 200 meters can be destroyed.
The system also can neutralize over head attacks or multiple shots from a single direction. It is lighter and less expensive than armor plating.
Both the Army and Marine Corps are funding this program.