The beginning of the winter of 2023 continues Ukraine’s diplomatic victories. France managed to agree to the transfer of AMX-10 RC “wheeled tanks”, the German government demanded Leopard 2 tanks from Chancellor Scholz, and Britain traditionally demonstrated the boldest position by announcing the transfer of the main tank of its army Challenger 2 for the needs of Ukraine.
The head of the British Ministry of Defense, Ben Wallace, also confirmed the beginning of immediate training of the military to operate the new tank and called on other Western partners to follow the example from London. Well, let’s get acquainted with English weapons, which, we hope, will help launch the challenge of transferring other tanks to Ukraine.
The beginning of the story of the second Challenger
The story of the Challenger 2 begins in the 1990s, when Vickers Defense Systems, now known as BAE Systems Land & Armaments, developed a new generation tank to replace the first Challenger. In July 1994, the first batch of Challenger 2 entered service with the British Army, and in 1995 18 units were exported to Oman.
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Challenger 2 has combat experience in military operations and peacekeeping missions in the Middle East, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. During use, the tank demonstrated considerable firepower and a high level of protection.
The tank’s only loss came during an incident in Iraq, when the Challenger 2 came under “friendly fire”, another case of armor damage occurred after an attack from an anti-tank grenade launcher. However, the Challenger 2 participated in such battles when it received more than ten hits and maintained the integrity of the armor. For example, in the confrontation of Challenger 2 against Iraqi T-55s, the British destroyed 15 enemy tanks without losing their own weapons.
Design and firepower
Challenger 2 has several modifications. Challenger 2 FV4034 basic version, Challenger 2E export tank, Challenger 2 TES Megatron (with enhanced protection against improvised explosive devices), Challenger 2 Black Night (with additional detection equipment – commander’s sight, gunner’s thermal imager).
The Challenger 2’s main armament consists of a 120mm L30A rifled gun, with a 7.62mm ATK Gun Systems Company machine gun mounted to its left. The ammunition of the machine gun is 4000 rounds, and the ammunition of the gun is 52 shots. On the sides of the front part of the tower, five 66-mm electric smoke grenade launchers of Thales AFV Systems are installed, covering the front part of the vehicle. Another 7.62 mm machine gun is mounted on the hatch. The cannon is stabilized in two planes, has fully electric guidance drives.
Challenger 2 armor deserves special attention, because this tank is one of the most heavily armored tanks of NATO countries. The tower is protected by Chobham armor of the second generation “Dorchester” – recall that this technology was also used in the creation of composite armor for the American Abrams. “Cobham” is a British development and is characterized by increased resistance to penetration by anti-tank weapons.
Challenger 2 is equipped with defense systems against nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, and the shape of the tank is designed to minimize its radar visibility. From open unofficial data, it is known that the level of resistance of the front of the tower is 800 mm against armor-piercing shells and 1200 mm against cumulative shells. While the similar indicator of the Leopard 2A5 tank is 800 mm and 1300 mm, respectively.
“Cobham” armor is still a classified technology, exact technical information about it is not publicly available. Composite material combining ceramic plates and a metal frame, which together provide increased resistance against cumulative shells and high-explosive high-explosive anti-tank shells, is considered to be a composite material. In addition to Challenger and Abrams, this protection technology is used in South Korean K1 tanks.
Challenger 2’s mobility is provided by a 12-cylinder Perkins Caterpillar CV12 diesel engine with a capacity of 1,200 hp. with. with a David Brown TN54 gearbox with six forward and two reverse gears. Challenger 2 is equipped with a second-generation hydrogas suspension and a hydraulic track tensioner. The engine allows you to develop a speed of 40 km/h off-road and 60 km/h on the road. The operational range of the tank is 450 km on the road and 250 km over rough terrain.
Management of the Challenger 2 relies on a crew of four – a commander, a mechanic-driver, a gunner and a loader.
Challenger 2’s role in the offensive
Britain’s military aid package will include the transfer of 14 Challenger 2 tanks. However, Ukrainian experts are discussing the high possibility of receiving more of these tanks in the future. Great Britain is conducting a program to modernize its tanks, which by 2021 had 227 units in service.
The British government plans to upgrade 148 tanks to the next-generation version of the Challenger 3, so up to 79 Challenger 2 tanks can be scrapped. We can hope that the Challengers will go to Ukraine instead of being scrapped.
Both the plus and minus of British tanks is the use of special non-NATO-unified projectiles. The downside is that their supply and production falls exclusively “on the shoulders” of Britain, but a big plus is hidden in high efficiency. Challenger shells have a range of up to 8 km, and armor-piercing high-explosive (HESH) shells damage vehicles even without penetrating armor.
HESH anti-tank shells detonate a plastic explosive on enemy armor. The substance explodes on the surface, and the fragments breaking off on the rear side damage the combat compartment of the tank and disable the equipment. It is important that these shells were developed by the British after the Second World War, specifically to counter the Soviet tanks that are now serving the Russians.
Among other advantages, Challenger 2 is characterized by a “pumped” control system. Everything is based on digital technology, the crew has modern means of detection. Thermal imagers and rangefinders give the tank a high combat capability in night conditions, and the high reaction speed allows you to quickly respond to enemy attacks – the tank’s turret rotates 360 degrees in 9 seconds, and for comparison, the T-72 performs the same action in 20 seconds.
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace also notes that the Challenger 2 complements the Bradley M2 BMP we will receive from the United States. According to military experts, this Western equipment can work in tandem and will allow to dramatically change the situation in favor of Ukraine in some areas of the front.
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverley emphasizes the importance of the Challenger 2 transfer on the diplomatic front. On the one hand, Britain can give the green light to other countries to transfer their main tanks, and on the other hand, the presence of tanks in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine can strengthen both the Ukrainian army at the front and Ukrainian diplomats in potential negotiations.
In an interview with a foreign publication, James Cleverly notes that if the Ukrainian side agrees to negotiations with Russia, it should be “in the strongest possible position.” Once again, we thank the British partners and hope for the fastest arrival of the Challengers.
