Britain confirmed that it was going to send 14 Challenger 2 tanks and other hardware,
including hundreds more armored vehicles and advanced air defense missiles.
Britain would be the first Western country to supply the heavy tanks Kyiv has been calling for.
The UK will also begin training Ukrainian forces to use the tanks and guns in the coming days.
Downing Street said the move shows "the UK's ambition to intensify support."
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the Challengers, the British Army's
main battle tank, would help Kyiv's forces "push Russian troops back".
President Zelensky has thanked the UK, saying that the decision to send the tanks "will
not only strengthen us on the battlefield but also send the right signal to other partners".
In this video Defense Updates analyzes why British Challenger 2 Main Battle
tanks are that big of a deal ? Let’s get into the details.
Here are 16 facts about Challenger 2:
1. Challenger 2 is an extensive redesign of Challenger 1. Although the hull and automotive
components seem similar, they are of a newer design than the Challenger 1 and only around
3% of components are interchangeable. 2. After a production delay, the tank
entered service with the British Army in 1998, with the last delivered in 2002.
3. The tank cost the taxpayer £4.2 million per unit.
4. It has a base weight of 62.5 tonnes but can go up to 75.0 tonnes with add-on armor modules.
5. It is operated by a crew of 4 (commander, gunner, loader/operator, driver)
6. The Challenger 2 is powered by a Perkins CV12 TCA turbocharged diesel engine,
similar to that on the Challenger 1. This engine develops 1 200 horsepower. Though comparable,
Western MBTs - the M1A2 Abrams and Leopard 2A5 have more powerful engines, developing 1500 hp.
7. The tank has a 550 km (340 mi) range and a maximum road
speed of 59 kilometers per hour (37 mph).
8. The Challenger 2 is a heavily armored.
The turret and hull are protected by second-generation Chobham armor, also known
as Dorchester, the details of which are classified but which is said to have a mass efficiency more
than twice that of rolled homogeneous armor against high explosive anti-tank projectiles.
9. Explosive reactive armor kits and additional bar armor may be fitted as necessary.
When fully equipped it is considered to be one of the most well-protected tanks in the world.
10. The nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) protection system is located in
the turret bustle. The tank's shape is designed to minimize its radar signature.
11. On each side of the turret are five L8 smoke grenade dischargers. The Challenger 2
can create smoke by injecting diesel fuel into the exhaust manifolds.
12. The Challenger 2 is equipped with a 120 mm (4.7 in) 55-caliber long L30A1 tank gun,
the successor to the L11 gun used on the Chieftain and Challenger 1. Uniquely among NATO main battle
tank guns, 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-stabilized
discarding-sabot rounds. So, this tank cannot use standard NATO shells that use smooth-bore guns.
50 rounds are stored. 13. Effective range of fire
with armor-piercing round is over 3000 m. The Challenger gun claims the longest-distance tank
kill in history. During the Gulf War, it defeated an Iraqi tank at a range of 4 km or 2.5 miles.
14. 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. 4,200 rounds are carried. 15. The tank is fitted with an Extel Systems Wedel
auxiliary power unit, an APU, also referred to as a generating unit engine, GUE, based around a 38
kW Perkins P404C-22 diesel engine. It has a 600 A electrical output, which can be used to
power the vehicle's electrical systems when it is stationary and the main engine is switched off.
16. To date, the only time a tank has been destroyed during operations was
by another Challenger 2 in a friendly fire ("blue on blue" ) incident at Basra
in 2003 when the destroyed tank had its hatch open at the time of the incident.
The announcement comes as Oleskiy Danylov, Secretary of Ukraine’s Security Council,
also mentioned the need for an acceleration in weapons supplies
because the government expected Russia “to attempt to make a so-called final push”.
Built-in the late 1990s, the Challenger tank is more than 20 years old,
but it will be the most modern tank at Ukraine's disposal.
The tanks will provide Ukraine with better protection, and more accurate firepower.
While the donation alone is not considered a game-changer, it is hoped that the UK's move
will inspire other countries to donate more heavy weapons to help Ukraine.
The BBC quoted a memo to troops by General Sir Patrick Sanders as saying that while Kyiv
would put these items to ‘good use’, it would leave the British Army “temporarily weaker”.
Sanders told his forces that Russia’s defeat in Ukraine “makes us safer,” but added that
it is vital the Army’s “warfighting capability” was restored at pace.
It remains to be seen how Challenger 2 performs and
if the UK sends more Challengers to add to the initial package.