Nope, we had them in Iraq before EFPs were really a thing (Thanks Iranain Quds Force for that). They were specifically for RPGs, which was one of the few things that could take out a Stryker without it. They even tried those Soviet parachute anti-tank grenades, but the Stryker is much faster than a tank and just moved away in time. That being said, the I'm sure this slat (birdcage as we called it) armor would help with that as well.
I thought an RPG _was_ an EFP? The round is just a shaped charge with a copper liner that penetrates the armour. So the slatted armour stops both RPGs and EFP-based IEDs.
The usual RPG with a HEAT shaped charge doesn't destroy by forging a penetrator that then potentially travels some distance to the target, it produces an intense, narrow jet that'll cut through a lot of material.
The Vampir uses a tandem charge -- Two successive charges. The point of this is to counter reactive armor, which is designed to counter explosively formed projectiles.
No, you're right. Explosively formed projectiles work best when formed a few inches from the armor. However, they have a sweet spot and if the distance is too far, they don't work. I figured that's what the cages were for.