Challenger 3: Meet the British Army's New Most Lethal Main Battle Tank

[Music] [Music] British army soldiers are closer to getting their hands on one of Europe's most lethal tanks as the latest Challenger 3 prototype has finished production in tford with Advanced armor and devastating Firepower the Challenger 3 boasts an impressive range of state-of-the-art Technology making it the most lethal and survivable tank ever operated by the British Army in a more dangerous world the need for vehicles such as the Challenger 3 is imperative as the threats facing the UK evolve this tank will be at the heart of the British army's war fighting capabilities and will be integral to the UK's deterrence said Grant shaps UK defense secretary the latest of eight Challenger 3 prototypes rolled off the Ry metal BAE Systems land or RBS SL factory production line in tford recently defense secretary Grant shaps visited the site where he met the engineers and apprentices who have worked to achieve this crucial milestone in UK armored Warfare the first prototype is already showing its capabilities on Trials all prototypes will be tested under operational conditions to validate their performance and make refinements before another 140 are built and delivered to the British army Challenger 3 will be the apex predator of modern warfare with unmatched cuttingedge Firepower protection and Mobility it will be ready to dominate the battlefield the tank can reach speeds of up to 60 kmph and is armed with a 120 mm smooth boore gun with higher muzzle velocity and greater penetration than its predecessor Challenger 2 its new modular armor and active protection system which can detect and Destroy rocket and missile attacks in seconds will make it one of the best protected tanks in Europe the hard work and dedication on show in hord and across the country are instrumental in driving forward UK defense Innovation and delivering for our forces on the front lines providing the Army's main battle tank the Challenger 3 will remain in service until at least 2040 the Army's director of programs Major General John Swift obbe said Challenger 3 will be at the heart of the Army's armored Brigade combat teams along alongside Ajax and boxer and is critical to the army's war fighting capability and the UK's contribution to Nato the delivery of these prototype Vehicles the first of which has already started trials marks a significant Milestone on the Army's modernization Journey RBS SL managing director will Gibby said RBS SL is playing a key part in delivering the land industrial strategy through its Challenger 3 Program ensuring it benefits from the best British engineering and Manufacturing while sustaining valuable skills across the country delivery of the first pre-production Challenger 3 and the commencement of Trials marks a critical milestone in delivering this impressive capability to the British Army and will provide our soldiers with a worldclass main battle tank made here in the UK Challenger 3 is being delivered under an 800 million pound contract creating many highly skilled roles with nearly 300 jobs generated within RBS SL including 130 engineers and 70 technicians and another 450 jobs across the UK meanwhile following a life Expansion Project the existing Challenger 2 is expected to remain in service until 2025 with that year quickly approaching the mod announced an 800 million pound contract with Anglo German manufacturer Rin metal BAE Systems land to deliver 148 Challenger 3 tanks these new acquisitions will extend the platform service date to 240 the British army was the first to employ the tank on the battlefield during World War I although they arguably fell behind the curve against the German tanks of World War II British tank technology has returned to top form through the Cold War and into the 21st century since 1998 the British Army's main battle tank has been the FB 4034 Challenger 2 on May 7th 2021 the ministry of Defense announced the upgrade to a new main battle tank the British military faces significant challenges with dwindling resources and the British royal Navy overextending its Budget on two large air craft carriers the British Army's ground forces are at a historic low relying on Aging Challenger 2 tanks 14 of which have been sent to Ukraine the UK is considering retiring these tanks for a new main battle tank or MBT the Challenger 3 developed by rhin metal BAE Systems land the Challenger 3 set to replace the Challenger 2 in the mid 2020s boasts improvements in Firepower armor Mobility and Technology the overhaul from Challenger 2 to 3 will include several upgrades including the main gun although modern main battle tanks like the American M1 ABS and the Russian T90 use Smooth Bore guns the Challenger 2 retained a rifled gun with the Challenger 3 upgrade the 120 mm rifled gun will be swapped out to a smooth boore variant the new gun will be able to accept most globally available ammunition this will simplify Logistics enable interoperability with Allied armies and offer export opportunities for the new tank complimenting a tank's gun is its armor the Challenger 2 utilizes the Revolutionary chobham ceramic armor a variant of which it also used on the M1 ABS with the Challenger 3 upgrade the tank will receive new modular armor although the details of this new armor are highly classified the mod is very confident in its protective capabilities Challenger 3 will lead NATO armored forces with the highest levels of lethality and survivability on today's battlefields and out to 2040 they said in the Challenger 3 announcement a military restructure announced in March 2021 calls for the British army to reduce its size to its smallest since 1714 at the time of the announcement the British army had 82,0 40 soldiers and 227 Challenger 2 tanks by 2025 the British army is expected to have just 72,500 soldiers and 148 upgraded Challenger 3 tanks despite the downsizing the Army will retain its lethality on the battlefield using drones and new technologies like the Challenger 3 this pioneering new technology allows us to deliver immense Warf fighting capabilities in battle spaces filled with a range of enemy threats said UK Secretary of State for defense at the time Ben Wallace Britain aims to address future complex threats with a smaller more adaptable and readily Deployable Army

Channel: US Defense News

Views: 28,701

Keywords: army, tank, main battle tank, challenger 3, challenger 3 tank, challenger 3 main battle tank, challenger 3 mbt, new british tank challenger 3, british army, challenger 2, british armed forces, british, military, ministry of defence, british military, british defence, challenger 3 tank in action, uk challenger 3 tank, challenger 2 tank, british challenger 3 tank, challenger tank, challenger 3 in action, new challenger 3 tank, challenger 2 tank upgrade, challenger 3 tank firing

Id: 9HHyofQRfyY

Length: 8min 23sec (503 seconds)

Published: Sun May 19 2024