tracked-vehicles

Challenger 2

Challenger 2 is the Main Battle Tank in service with the British Army and with the Royal Army of Oman.

Challenger 2 is heavily armoured and highly mobile, designed for use in the direct fire zone. Its primary role is to destroy or neutralise armour. However, it also has the ability to engage both hard and soft targets and can operate across a spectrum of high intensity conflict, counter insurgency and peace keeping roles.

The vehicle is equipped with an L30 120mm rifled tank gun, firing both long rod penetrator and High Explosive Squash Head (HESH) ammunition natures. Secondary armaments are provided with a 7.62mm co-axial chain gun and a 7.62mm pintle mounted General Purpose Machine Gun.

Optical and thermal imager sights are provided for both the Commander and Gunner, including an independent 360ᵒ panoramic sight for the Commander. The sighting systems, turret and gun are fully stabilised enabling rapid target engagement when static and on the move.

Mobility is provided through a 12-cylinder, 1,200hp Perkins CV12 diesel engine with a David Brown TN54 gearbox, providing six forward and two reverse gears. A double pin track with Hydrogas suspension and a Hydraulic Track Tensioner provide platform stability covering flat road surfaces through to rough cross-country terrain.

Challenger 2 has successfully supported British Army operations in Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq, as part of which, various survivability, lethality and situational awareness improvements were incorporated under Urgent Operational Requirement projects.

Challenger 3 programme

In May 2021, RBSL announced it had been awarded an £800m contract to upgrade 148 Challenger 3 Main Battle Tanks for the British Army.

The upgraded vehicle, to be called Challenger 3, will be a network-enabled, digital Main Battle Tank with state-of-the-art lethality, upgraded survivability, plus world-class surveillance and target acquisition capabilities.

450 jobs will be created and sustained within the UK supply chain, and a further 200 jobs will be created and sustained within RBSL, including 130 engineers and 70 technicians. RBSL will also provide work and training opportunities to 60 apprentices during the programme.

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