Challenger 2
| FV 4034 Challenger 2 | |
|---|---|
A Challenger 2 tank patrolling outside Basra, Iraq, during Operation Telic.
|
|
| Type | Main battle tank |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1998–present |
| Used by | British Army, Oman Army |
| Wars | Iraq War |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Alvis plc, BAE Systems Land & Armaments |
| Unit cost | £4,217,000 |
| Produced | 1993–2002 |
| Number built | ≈ 446 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 62.5 tonnes (61.5 long tons; 68.9 short tons), with a combat ready weight of 75.0 tonnes (73.8 long tons; 82.7 short tons) with add-on armour modules. |
| Length | 8.3 m (27 ft 3 in), 13.50 m (44 ft 3 in) with gun forward |
| Width | 3.5 m (11 ft 6 in), 4.2 m (13 ft 9 in) with appliqué armour |
| Height | 2.49 m (8 ft 2 in) |
| Crew | 4 (commander, gunner, loader/operator, driver) |
|
|
|
| Armour | Chobham / Dorchester Level 2 (classified) |
|
Main
armament |
L30A1 120 mm rifled gun with 49 rounds |
|
Secondary
armament |
Coaxial 7.62 mm L94A1 chain gun EX-34 (chain gun), 7.62 mm L37A2 Commander's cupola machine gun |
| Engine |
Perkins CV-12 V12 diesel 26 litre 1,200 hp (890 kW) |
| Power/weight | 19.2 hp/t (14.3 kW/t) |
| Transmission | David Brown TN54 epicyclic transmission (6 fwd, 2 rev.) |
| Suspension | Hydropneumatic suspension |
| Ground clearance | 0.5 m (1 ft 8 in) |
| Fuel capacity | 1,592 litres (350 imp gal; 421 US gal) |
|
Operational
range |
550 km (340 mi) on road, 250 km (160 mi) off road on internal fuel |
| Speed | 59 km/h (37 mph) on road, 40 km/h (25 mph) off road |
The FV4034 Challenger 2 is a British main battle tank (MBT) in service with the armies of the United Kingdom and Oman. It was designed and built by the British company Vickers Defence Systems (now known as BAE Systems Land & Armaments).
Vickers Defence Systems began to develop a successor to Challenger 1 as a private venture in 1986. A £90 million deal for a demonstrator vehicle was finalised in January 1989. In June 1991, the Ministry of Defence placed a £520 million order for 140 vehicles, with a further 268 ordered in 1994. Production began in 1993 and the unit's tanks were delivered in July 1994, replacing the Challenger 1. The tank entered service with the British Army in 1998, with the last delivered in 2002. It is expected to remain in service until 2035. The Royal Army of Oman ordered 18 Challenger 2s in 1993 and a further 20 tanks in November 1997.
The Challenger 2 is an extensive redesign of the Challenger 1. Although the hull and automotive components seem similar, they are of a newer design and build than those of the Challenger 1 and only around 3% of components are interchangeable. The tank's drive system provides a 550 km range, with a maximum road speed of 59 km/h. It has a four-man crew.
The Challenger 2 is equipped with a 120-millimetre (4.7 in) 55-calibre long L30A1 tank gun, the successor to the L11 gun used on the Chieftain and Challenger 1. Unique among NATO main battle tank armament, the L30A1 is rifled, because the British Army continues to place a premium on the use of High-explosive squash head (HESH) rounds in addition to armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding-sabot rounds. The Challenger 2 is also armed with a L94A1 EX-34 7.62 mm chain gun and a 7.62 mm L37A2 (GPMG) machine gun. Fifty eight main armament rounds and 4,200 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition are carried.
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