An Israeli-made system designed to protect tanks and troop transports from shoulder-fired rockets will be tested by the Pentagon for possible use by US forces in Iraq, a senior Israeli defence source said yesterday.

While most of more than 2,800 deaths of US service personnel in Iraq have been caused by roadside bombs, military officials have pledged to address the threat of rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) as part of long-term planning.

"Trophy" is described by its manufacturer, Rafael, as unique because it uses a sensor to detect an incoming missile and fires a projectile that destroys its warhead in mid-air. Rafael puts the system's reliability rate at about 95 per cent. The Israeli defence source said the Pentagon was in the last stage of ordering one for tests in the United States.

"The Department of Defence plans to test Trophy, perhaps on a (US Army) Stryker or another kind of vehicle, beginning in April, and later on to field it in Iraq," the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters. Amit Zimmer, spokesman for the state-owned Israeli firm, declined to comment on a possible U.S. purchase of Trophy. The US embassy in Tel Aviv could not immediately be reached for comment.

The US news network NBC reported in September that the army had decide to forgo Trophy in favour of a rival system under development by US arms firm Raytheon Co., although the latter is not expected to be operational before 2010.