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German-British joint venture Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) has released images of the first prototype of the British Army’s Challenger 3 main battle tank (MBT) following the completion of construction of the new vehicle at its Telford plant in England.
The first public images of the prototype were released at the IQPC International Conference on Armored Technology in London, and tests are expected soon. A total of 18 months of testing at test sites in Great Britain and Germany are planned. Eight prototypes will be developed.
The Challenger 3 program aims to create the best tank in NATO… and will build a network-enabled digital main battle tank that will give the soldier radically new capabilities and provide 21st century deterrence right up to decommissioning. [запланированного на 2040 год]. The first prototype… will begin testing in the coming weeks.
— Rory Breen, Director of Strategy and Business Futures, RBSL.
Elements fitted to the prototype, intended for integration on 148 production tanks as part of the wider £800m Challenger 3 programme, include a 120mm Rheinmetall smoothbore gun, a digital turret, day and night sights, an armor system. Improved mobility also includes the introduction of a third-generation hydrogas suspension and a more powerful engine.
RBSL can build the new machines from scratch if the UK Ministry of Defense issues an order. Now the company has a contract only for the modernization of Challenger 2, Breaking Defense reports.
The health and operational readiness of the British Army’s Challenger 2 fleet is a matter of contention in UK political circles and is more relevant than ever after the UK committed to handing over the main battle tanks to Ukraine in 2023.
As Breaking Defense previously reported, Lt. Gen. Robert McGowan, Chief of Defense Staff for Financial and Military Capabilities, denied that London’s decision to transfer 14 used vehicles to Kyiv reduced the British Army’s “operational assets” of main battle tanks by almost a third.
The initial operational capability of Challenger 3 is planned for 2027.
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