Challenger 1

Challenger 1 History

The first combat "tanks" were born from the battles of the First World War. However, these hardly represent what we call "main battle tanks" today.

Over time, the "diamond" vehicles of World War I evolved into cannon weapons mounted on movable turrets (the French FT-17 being a prime example), and the staff managing the various required functions of the vehicles became more and more less and less. It wasn't until World War II that tank warfare really took off, starting a tank "arms race" between world powers that eventually resulted in the excellent Soviet T-34 medium tank and German Panther series, as well as the famous American M4 Schell Mann, and finally the postwar American tank M26 Pershing and British Centurion. However, it was the Centurion who really laid the groundwork for the "main battle tank" category and was ultimately responsible for phasing out specialized tanks for light, medium and heavy tanks.

MBT can now do everything that was required in previous designs.

The

Centurion became a post-war success story, with thousands of people building it and having various spin-offs. In the 1960s, a technological shift occurred in the wind, which resulted in the impressive Chieftain MBT for the British Army.

The Chieftain became another great British tank design in this form with a reliable multi-fuel engine and a powerful and highly accurate 120mm main gun. If the Chieftain has any limit, it's its engine, which can never fully harness its power. Regardless, the Chieftain proved to be the most powerful tank of its time - a huge combination of armor and firepower at the expense of speed - until it was replaced by the equally powerful German Leopard 2.

Iran becomes Sheikhs largest foreign operator, receiving more than 700 copies. Through an agreement with the United Kingdom, work began on an "improved" Sheikh for the Iranian army, known as the "Shir 1", of which 125 have been ordered.

The type was intended to be used as a temporary MBT for the Iranian government, which commissioned the UK to design and develop an entirely new MBT called the Shir 2. The Iranians pledged to buy 1,225 of these vehicles, which were subsequently developed. However, with the fall of the Iranian government following the Islamic Revolution of 1979, all treaties with Western powers were terminated, including the Shir 1 and Shir 2 initiatives.

Rather than "holding the bag", the British authorities quickly signed a contract with the Royal Jordanian Army for an improved version of the Shir 1 that was already in production. This became the MBT "Khalid" and deliveries began in the early 1980s. Key to these vehicles is the addition of a Perkins diesel engine in a slightly raised engine bay, as well as interior modifications to suit the tastes of the Jordanian military.

The fire control system was revised and the tank became a more or less advanced later model form of the original Chieftain series.

The next British MBT was built according to an agreement between the British and West German governments. This move, however, failed in March 1977, prompting the development of a new domestic tank called the MBT-80 (the Germans introduced their Leopard 2 shortly after).

Despite the promise of such a project, the British authorities cancelled the MBT-80 project because of its increasing development costs and delayed service entry windows.

With the loss of the Iranian Shir 2 contract and the abandonment of the MBT-80, it was decided to continue the development of a new tank based on the existing Shir 2 to replace the aging Chieftain line. Several steps were taken to modify the already developed design for use in the European theater of operations (rather than the Middle East), and the powerful 120mm gun was retained due to its intrinsic value in defeating all known types of enemy tanks.

Key to the development of the new British tank was the introduction of the "Chopham" armour - a new top-secret (so far) composite armour that dates back to the 1960s. The armour takes its name from the MoD development centre in Chobham Commons, Surrey, and has proven to be highly effective at stopping or delaying the impact of shaped charge warheads and kinetic penetrators.

The invention later became a revolutionary addition to the entire main battle tank, as several upcoming MBT systems used the technology in their designs.

The Shir 2 development (now called "Cheviot") turned into a traditionally arranged modern MBT system with a crew of four, a centrally located turret to house the main armament, and an engine bay set in the rear. The landing gear spanned the sides of the hull and was protected by an armored "skirt". The end result promises to upgrade the existing Chieftain range - after formal testing and evaluation - the tank becomes the "Challenger" main battle tank - the British Army's latest armour system. The British government commissioned the Royal Armouries in Leeds to produce the model by ordering 237 cars, which were subsequently increased to 319.

It should be noted that the Challenger name originally served the development of the WWII "cruiser" tank, but has since been retired.

From the outside, the Challenger definitely looks like a modern MBT. The system consists of four people: driver, commander, gunner and loader. The driver manages his position in the front center of the hull, while the rest of the crew occupies the turret.

The gunner was seated on the right front of the turret, with the commander behind. The loader is on her right and manages the ammunition and main gun breech on orders from the commander and gunner. The tank has a very flat hull structure that allows for lower targets. The Glacis panels are well sloped, their design is almost horizontal, and the fuselage top cover is relatively flat - raised only aft due to the Perkins engine. The landing gear consists of six twin-tire wheels, with the drive sprocket at the rear and the chain idler at the front.

The track system is protected by attached fenders on the top and skirt armor on the sides - a common practice on tanks since World War II. The turret is well-sloped and has sharp lines for excellent ballistic protection, as well as a slimmer side profile.

The overhang at the stern allows cargo and supplies to be loaded externally, while ammunition is loaded internally.

The commander drives his vehicle from his turret position, with enough field of view through no less than nine periscopes on his station to gain an all-round view of the surrounding action. Its cupola is equipped with a day sight (or night sight image intensifier) ??as well as an anti-aircraft machine gun (optional). Its main tasks are to lead its crew in operations, maintain constant contact with accompanying vehicles and supervisors, and give orders to drivers and gunners.

The crew who go with the commander, together they can form a very deadly force.

The pilot's position in the center of the front of the fuselage provides a unique perspective on what is going on. Its position is such that, during combat travel, it leans with the hatch buckled. Being able to stick his head out of the hatch during "easy" travel made him comfortable. The hatch folds forward onto the forward sloping panel and provides its main entry/exit.

However, in an emergency, the driver can also go to the attached fighting compartment and, if necessary, exit the vehicle through one of the turret roof hatches. Tanker drivers are trained professionals who are free to drive their 68-ton vehicle like a streamlined Cadillac.

The gunner's station is equipped with the tank's laser sight, which magnifies the target, thus increasing the range accuracy. The main gun is also stabilized along two axes, and a digital fire control system can fire on the move.

The included laser rangefinder can "reach" targets up to 11,000 yards away. Ultimately, the Challenger used the Thermal Observation and Firing Sight (TOGS), which allowed the commander and gunner to target the output independently.

The Challenger is equipped with the proven and excellent L11A5 120mm rifled main gun, offering 64 rounds of various ammunition types including various armor, smoke and practice rounds (separate charges and ammunition). The barrel has a thermowell and an integrated range hood. The muzzle reference system is installed at the very end of the barrel. A typical combat ammunition load consists of 20 ribbed shells and 44 HESH (High Explosive Squash Head) projectiles. As standard on all main battle tanks, a 7.62mm L8A2 coaxial machine gun is mounted next to the main gun in the turret and is operated by the gunner.

An optional 7.62mm L37A2 machine gun can be mounted on the commander's cupola to target enemy infantry or low-flying aircraft. Ten electric smoke grenade launchers are arranged in two rows of five launchers on either side of the front of the turret.

The machine gun carried 4,000 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.

The Challenger is powered by a Perkins Engines Condor CV12 V-12 diesel engine with 1,200 horsepower. This gives the vehicle a top speed of 35 mph and a range of 250 miles. Off-road driving is considered excellent thanks to the hydropneumatic hydrogen suspension system. The power pack alone weighs 5.5 tonnes, but is designed in such a way that it can be removed relatively quickly for repair or replacement in the field. However, the weight of the unit proved too heavy for modern British Army engineering vehicles of the time, so a new vehicle based on the Chieftain chassis was developed and eventually produced for use by the Challenger on the battlefield.

The Khalid MBT destined for Jordan used the same 1,200 Perkins engine.

The first production Challenger Mk 1 vehicle was received in March 1983 and supplied to the British Army Group in West Germany as a deterrent to the Soviet invasion of East Germany. About five regiments were equipped with very powerful tanks in the theater.

The Challenger was deployed in the Middle East in 1990 prior to Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein has moved his troops into neighboring Kuwait in an attempt to seize most of the region's oil reserves.

The West relies on reserves, deployed through coalition forces from several countries in Europe and the Middle East. The British Challenger system then went to war in a ground conflict following a relentless aerial bombardment campaign. The Challenger performed fairly well in action and is credited with destroying around 300 enemy vehicles without losing a single Challenger unit. A total of 180 challengers were used in the conflict.

The 120mm main gun and tough Chobham armor have stood the test of time, making the Challenger one of the best tanks in service. The war also became a proving ground for another famous main battle tank, the American M1 Abrams tank, one of the few other tanks known to be protected by Chobham armor. If the Challenger has any limitation, it's its Fire Control System (FCS), which provides a slow but steady 120mm main gun rate of fire. That point was brought home in the Canadian Army Trophy Shooting competition, where the challenger - very accurately thought - finished last in rate of fire.

This poor quality is finally addressed in the upcoming Challenger 2 MBT series.

The UK challenger has also been used in UN efforts in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The original Challenger production brand was the Mk 1 and these were used without TOGS equipment. The Mk 2 model uses TOGS, while the interior has been improved to produce the Mk 3 series. The Mk 4 variant becomes the ultimate challenger brand. The Challenger Tank Chassis was also used to create an improved line of command tanks in Challenger 1 Control (Brigade) and Challenger 1 Command (Squadron).

An Armored Repair and Recovery Vehicle (ARRV) was also developed.

While the Challenger has a place in the UK inventory, the model still has room for improvement and the British Army has issued a new requirement to complement the model's service status. Ultimately, proposals included American M1 Abrams, German Leopard 2 and French Leclerc tanks, as well as new designs from Vickers (the Royal Armouries in Leeds was eventually acquired by Vickers Defense Systems in 1986).

In order to maintain the localization of the British Army main battle tank, the Vickers design became popular and was eventually adopted as the "Challenger 2", which in turn made the original Challenger design the "Challenger 1". It was later decided to completely replace the line with ex-UK refurbished Challenger 1s, rather than adding Challenger 1s, which were sent to Jordan.

The Challenger 2 remains the standard main battle tank of the British Army to this day and has proven itself just as good.

By 1990, a total of 420 Challenger 1 tanks were produced. Jordan eventually received a total of 392 Challenger 1 tanks, known as Al-Hussein, which are currently being upgraded to include updates to the Challenger 2 series.

The Challenger 1 hull served as the basis for the "Challenger Marksman" system, a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun platform with a Marksman turret with 2 automatic cannons. Like the Chieftain before it, the Challenger 1 can also have a bulldozer or minesweeper on its existing hull to expand its battlefield role.

A trainer version with a fixed tower was also developed for driver training.