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Challenger 2

1998 MAIN BATTLE TANK MODERN

Challenger 2 Story

The Challenger 2 (MBT) main battle tank represents the current standard tracked fighting vehicle of the British Army. The type represented the pinnacle of British armour development as it perfectly combined mobility, firepower and armour protection - key qualities of any modern combat machine.

To understand its development, however, one must understand its deep pedigree, which dates back to the introduction of their Centurion main battle tank by the British at the end of World War II (described in detail elsewhere on this site). This new tank, developed during the war, came too late to see combat action in the conflict, but became an integral part of the world of the Cold War (1947-1991), with postwar success both domestically and through foreign sales - from Active in many positions from 1945 to 1990s.

For the British Army, their classic Centurion is finally starting to show its age (and its limitations on the battlefield), so the new MBT is in order. A new tank developed in 1966 was the equally excellent Chieftain MBT (details elsewhere on this page), which introduced the more powerful L11A5 series 120mm rifled main gun. Later in its life, the Sheikh was upgraded to better and foreign interest increased, especially in Iran, where it procured about 700 examples for its armored forces.

The demand for a new MBT was then developed under the name "Shir 2", while an improved Chieftain form was offered as "Shir 1" during the transition. However, the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran cancelled the expected order, so the Shir 1 stock was moved to Jordan and operated there as "Khalid".

However, the Shir 2 was then selected for further development by the British Army and became the state-of-the-art "Challenger" MBT following the Anglo-German MBT initiative and the "MBT-80" tank program (see details elsewhere on this site). fail. The Challenger introduced the revolutionary Chobham composite armor protection system, while retaining the powerful 120mm main gun as its main asset.

The tank replaced the Chieftain in service with the British Army, which led to the latter's retirement in 1995.

The Challenger was at the forefront from 1983 until the mid-1990s, eventually delivering 420 prototypes. Used in the ground battle of the Iraqi Gulf War in 1991 with excellent results (reportedly destroyed 300 enemy armored vehicles with no casualties). However, the Challenger series still had room for improvement (especially in terms of its slow rate of fire and fire control system equipment and software), so modifications from the 1980s led to an entirely new main battle tank - named "" Challenger 2", resulting in the original Challenger series being renamed "Challenger 1".

The Challenger 2 entered service in June 1998, with a total of 446 units delivered. Originally intended to complement the Challenger 1 series on the new digital battlefield, it was officially decided to replace the old stock with a newer generation of tanks.

Although the Challenger 2 was developed from the Challenger 1, it was a heavily modified version of the earlier tank, and all of this work was somehow related to the WW2-era Centurion. The overall design configuration is consistent with the original Challenger, with the driver centered in the front, the turret centered on the fuselage, and the rear engine.

The running gear consists of six twin-tire wheels on one side of the track, with a drive sprocket at the rear and a chain idler at the front. The glacis slabs slope well, as does the front panel of the tower. The landing gear and the upper part of the fuselage were protected by thin skirts.

The Challenger 2 maintains a flat hull and turret, giving it an excellent low profile. The tank consists of four people, with the driver in the car and the commander, loader and gunner in the turret. The Challenger 2 features a completely new turret design and retains the Chobham armor (albeit an evolved form of the original) and 120mm main gun (rifled). Only Challenger 1, Challenger 2, and American M1 Abrams are known users of the highly mysterious Chobham armor formula. Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) blocks can also be added for added protection, but at the cost of added weight.

Comes standard with a Nuclear Biochemical (NBC) protection system.

A new high pressure 120mm gun was developed for Challenger 2, designated L30A1. To address the shortcomings of the original Challenger 1's FCS, a more technologically sophisticated and advanced digital FCS has been added to the Challenger 2 series. The main gun is stabilized on both axes, allowing for precise long-range fire and firing while moving, equally deadly. The Challenger 2 can use its main gun to engage multiple targets from a distance with good results, as both the gunner and the commander receive individually stabilized optical/thermal sights as well as an advanced aiming system. Ergonomics are also incorporated throughout the interior, creating a relatively healthy work environment for the four crew members.

By default, a 7.62mm L94A1 machine gun is mounted on a coaxial mount next to the main gun (both guns are operated by the gunner). The commander's cupola is armed with a 7.62mm L37A2 machine gun for attacking infantry and low-flying aerial threats.

The main shell can store 52x120mm ammunition, including High Explosive Squash Head (HESH) and Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarded (APFSDS) ammunition. Smoke grenades are also available. Also carries 4,200 x 7.62mm machine gun ammunition.

The Challenger 2 crew also manages 10 electric smoke grenade launchers mounted as two rows of five on each front side turret plate.

The new Challenger 2 is powered by a 1,200 hp Perkins Engines CV-12 diesel engine. And paired with a David Brown TN54 series planetary drivetrain, it provides six forward speeds and two reverse speeds.

The vehicle is suspended on a hydropneumatic suspension system (from the second generation Hydrogas development). All told, these inclusions allow for a top speed of 35 mph and an internal fuel range of 280 miles.

Droppable external fuel tanks can also be added to the rear fuselage line to extend the vehicle's range. The total weight is a healthy 69 tons.

Challenger 2 is actually a private venture by Vickers Defense Systems. When the British Army requested a new main battle tank, the Vickers design was submitted as a possible candidate along with the American M1 Abrams and German Leopard 2 series. Due to the circumstances at the time, Vickers' submission was ultimately selected for further development and mass production.

Although the tank is currently under the name "BAe Systems Land Systems", these types of tanks have never been produced under the BAe brand label - the company has only undertaken a modernization program. Challenger 2 moved original production from Vickers Defense to Alvis Vickers Ltd before selling the business to BAe.

Production began with the first order of 127 tanks in 1991, and was supplemented with an order of 259 tanks in 1994. First delivered to the British Army in 1994, the first combat unit became the Royal Scottish Dragoons in 1998 - ushering in a new era in the use of British tanks that continues to this day (2018).

Manufacturing is spread across two separate factories - one in Tyne and Wear and the other in Leeds.

Challenger 2 saw peacekeeping during its intervention in Bosnia and Kosovo, followed by its first combat operation in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, where it performed well - again, with no battlefield casualties. In some cases, individual Challenger 2s were repeatedly hit by Soviet-era rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) with little or no damage to the armor.

Preventing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in wartime also proved to be a godsend for tanker crews in the ensuing battle. The Challenger 2 has proven to be not only a worthy successor to the earlier Challenger 1 series, but also some, as the British Army is one of the most powerful main battle tanks in service today - if not the most powerful - - Main battle tanks.

The man is expected to fulfill his front-line role until 2035, with no indication of a successor planned in the near future. This is not surprising given the monetary cost of designing, developing and producing main battle tanks in today's world.

In any case, the Challenger 2 faces few threats on the modern battlefield, so a delay in procuring a new vehicle for the British Army is in many ways acceptable.

Oman is the only foreign operator of the Challenger 2, with an initial order of 18 in 1993. In 1997, the fleet expanded, and 20 Challenger 2s were subsequently ordered.

Like other British Army tanks before it, the Challenger 2 chassis is used in a variety of other battlefield armored vehicles that have been modified to suit multiple roles, such as the TITAN bridging/bridging tank.

BAe was at one point offering the "Challenger 2E" to interested export buyers, a version with several new additions and improvements, while being powered by a 1,500 hp EuroPowerPack diesel engine with a Renk transmission system. However, interest in the expensive product was low and the initiative was eventually abandoned.

The British Army received a total of 408 Challenger 2 tanks, while Oman had a fleet of 38.