What are the two types of an active protection system?

• A. Hard shell and soft shell.
• B. Hard kill and soft kill.
• C. Hard kill and hard shield.
• D. Soft kill and soft shield.

Answer: (B)

Active protection systems defend mounted platforms by stopping incoming threats in one of two ways: by destroying them or by confusing their guidance. The first approach, hard kill, uses interceptors or directed energy to physically neutralize the missile or rocket before it reaches the vehicle. It’s a direct, destructive defense that knocks the threat out of the air. The second approach, soft kill, defeats the weapon’s aiming system rather than the projectile itself. Countermeasures like decoys, infrared or GPS jamming, and other sensors that spoof or mislead the missile cause it to miss the target without creating debris near the vehicle. These two methods—destroying the threat or deceiving it—are the standard classifications for active protection, which is why the correct description is hard kill and soft kill.