The Challenger 2 main battle tank entered service in the British Army in 1994,
although its development dates back to the 1980s. Since then, it has served in Yugoslavia,
Eastern Europe, and Iraq in the Middle East, and not one model has ever been lost to enemy fire.
Despite its impressive firepower and armor, the tank's turret is outdated by modern standards,
especially its rifled gun barrel.
Consequently, almost 25 years after its introduction on the battlefield,
the British Army has decided to replace it with an improved version, the Challenger 3.
According to the military, this new model will become the most lethal tank in all of Europe.
The Challenger 3 Program
On March 25, 2022, British Defense Procurement Minister Jeremey Quin
announced that the British Army would begin an ambitious conversion program
to upgrade existing Challenger 2 tanks into Challenger 3 main battle tanks.
Quin mentioned that the Challenger 3 tanks will: (QUOTE) “Be at the forefront of the
British Army’s ground force deterrent against our adversaries. They will be equipped with
the latest digital enhancements and weaponry, providing support and reassurance to our allies.”
Although the press release by the British Ministry of Defense was brief,
Quin noted that the Challenger 3 tanks will be upgraded by the
German firm Rheinmetall BAE Systems for a cost of over 800 million Euros.
The contract will cover the delivery of 148 Challenger 3 tanks to the British Army by 2027.
Although the army initially envisioned buying brand new German Leopard 2 tanks,
it ultimately settled for the conversion program for numerous reasons.
The most important one was that by focusing on upgrading the Challenger 2’s turret, the army
would inject new life into a time-tested design instead of investing in a brand-new tank design.
The minister also mentioned that a 25-million-euro sub-contract with Pearson Engineering
will fit the Challenger 3’s turret with state-of-the-art technology that will
further enhance the armored vehicle's lethality, survivability, and surveillance capabilities.
The Challenger 3 upgrades include a versatile turret that is fully compatible with the
tanks of other NATO allies: high-velocity ammunition with increased speeds and ranges,
a new automatic target detection and tracking system, and front and rear thermal cameras
with an innovative day/night image system. Of all the upgrades, the most innovative one
is the replacement of the Challenger 2’s rifled gun barrel for a 120-millimeter smoothbore gun.
This new option will put the British tank in line with most NATO ones,
as the British were the last ones to use a rifled gun barrel for their armored vehicles.
Challenger 3 Senior Responsible Owner, Brig Nick Cowey, told the press: (QUOTE) “I’m really excited
at this key milestone in the Challenger 3 program being achieved on schedule. The turret fabrication
being conducted here by Pearson Engineering is crucial for the delivery of a fully digitized
turret, ensuring that our modernized Main Battle Tank is the most lethal in Europe.”
Improved Situational Awareness
The updated Challenger 3 will also improve the situational awareness of its tank crews thanks
to the incorporation of digital crew stations. Like the Challenger 2, the new vehicle will still
be manned by a crew of four, comprising a commander, gunner, driver, and loader.
The updated, long-range, thermal panoramic sights and optics will increase the tank
crew's distance to detect all types of objects, including hostile threats. This
will give the tank crews more time to prepare for combat and adjust their tactics accordingly.
Additionally, the front and rear thermal cameras will significantly increase the
tanks’ capacity to detect any hostile threats approaching from any direction.
This WASAD or wide-area and detection capability of the Challenger 3
will also feature unique thermal modes for operations during night and day environments,
bolstering its all-weather effectiveness. A 90-million-euro subcontract with Thales Group
includes panoramic and fixed azimuth weapon aiming sights for the commander and the gunner,
while the inclusion of a new data link will also bolster the communication between tank crews,
resulting in better team coordination and tactics during combat scenarios.
What’s more, the entirely digitized Challenger 3 and its multi-domain integration
will enable interoperability with other friendly vehicles in combined armored battalions.
And thanks to its electronic architecture, the Challenger 3
will support future upgrades in the upcoming decades to ensure its combat readiness.
Lieutenant General Chris Tickell, the Deputy Chief of the General Staff,
said that all these electronic upgrades are part of a digitized backbone that will ensure
that the Challenger 3 can be fully integrated into existing platforms that share data in real-time:
(QUOTE) “The Integrated Review described a transformed Army that will be more lethal, better
protected, and better connected than any of its comparators. The Challenger 3 is a manifestation
of exactly that change and will sit at the heart of our warfighting capability. Its digital open
architecture will ensure that it is integrated across the battlefield. Its main armament will
overmatch its adversaries, and the crew will be afforded a unique level of protection.”
This means that the upgradability of the Challenger 3 will allow it to fight in different
types of terrain, including littoral environments where it can be used by the Future Commando Force.
Finally, during the last few years the British Army has proven
that the Challenger 2 can be transported by Royal Marine platforms during military
exercises in the Baltic region, and the Challenger 3 will be no exception.
Upgraded Turret and Armor Rheinmetall’s L55A1 120-millimeter
smoothbore gun will put the Challenger 3 at the vanguard of the latest tank gun designs,
as it will significantly increase the tank's accuracy, range, and penetrating power.
This high-pressure cannon will also allow the Challenger 3 to
fire different types of ammunition, including temperature-independent Kinect energy rounds and
new programmable multi-purpose ammunition, such as high-explosive and high-velocity ammunition.
And if that wasn’t enough, the Challenger 3 will also use an advanced fire control system.
Thanks to a state-of-the-art tracking system that detects, identifies, and tracks targets,
it will feature automatic target detection. Such an effective system will allow the
Challenger 3 crew to autofocus on a specific objective and even queue up several targets.
Currently, the Challenger 2 remains one of the most protected main battle tanks in the world, and
the Challenger 3 program will make sure to follow this legacy by providing an increased layer of
protection to the four-man crew with a new modular armor system to cover the hull and the turret.
In addition, a laser warning system and an active protection system will allow the crew to
identify incoming threats and react accordingly, while a more powerful engine and a new engine
cooling system will allow the 66-ton vehicle to reach speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour.
One feature that will also bolster the Challenger 3’s effectiveness
is the ability to fire while on the move, thanks to a third-generation hydro-gas suspension system
that stabilizes the vehicle to increase firing accuracy.
Expected Deliveries
The British Army used to have over 900 main battle tanks during the Cold War
and up to Operation Desert Storm, but it has now reduced its tank fleet by about 35 percent.
If everything goes according to plan and without delays,
the first 18 Challenger 3 tanks will be ready by 2027 and up to 148 by 2030.
Still, it remains to be seen if the Challenger 3 will reclaim the throne from the most lethal
European tank when pitched against the Russian T14 Armata, which is also currently in development.
Thank you for watching our video! Please like and subscribe to our Dark Documentaries channels
to find more exciting historical content. And don't forget to hit the bell icon
to be notified of our newest videos. Also, let us know what you think of
the conversion program of the Challenger 3 in the comments below. Stay tuned!