The Israeli Defense Ministry said the Trophy Windbreaker system "identified, alerted and intercepted" an anti-tank missile fired from southern Gaza on an Israeli army patrol in the western Negev region.

As the attack was foiled, soldiers also opened fire with retaliatory strikes, injuring at least one militant, the Arutz Sheva news agency reported from Israel.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack.

The armor defense system made its field debut two months ago after anti-tank missiles were spotted in the hands of Palestinians militants in Gaza.

Still, deployment of the system came earlier than scheduled following an attack in December on an Israeli tank.

The attack was mounted by Gaza militants who used an advanced Russian-designed missile. The attack jolted the Jewish state's confidence.

The Windbreaker is a system mounted on tanks, capable of spotting and shooting down hostile missiles.

Produced by Rafael, the system is marketed internationally under the name Trophy. It employs sensors and radars and "dispatches interceptor missiles which neutralize the hostile weapon before it can strike the tank," the Israeli daily Haaretz.

It said the decision to develop the system followed the experience of the Second Lebanon War in 2006 in which at least three dozen tanks were damaged and disabled by advanced anti-tank missiles fired by Hezbollah guerillas. The toll marked 10 percent of the total number of tanks deployed by Israel.

The system's successful response this week came as the Trophy completed a series of evaluation tests in the United States, as part of evaluations mandated by the U.S. Congress and Office of Secretary of Defense.

During the six-week testing period, the system underwent numerous simulated missile and rocket attacks.

"Other systems being tested were the FCLAS and IAAPS developed in the U.S. in the mid 2000s," Defense Update reported. "Trophy was the last of seven systems tested as part of the program since 2009."

Rafael is also developing a lighter Trophy version -- a smaller and lighter application of the same system.

Several groups in the Gaza Strip are believed to possess a variety of anti-tank missiles. Military experts suggest that the systems' growing use by Gaza militants may force the Israeli military to change its combat doctrine on the Gaza border.

Such a move, they say, would reduce Israel's exposure to the anti-tank missiles.

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