CHALLENGER 2

Challenger 2 is an advanced main battle tank built by BAE Systems Land Systems with an approx unit price of £4 million.  The initial order comprised  386 MBTs and 22 Driver Training Tanks (DTT), thus allowing for the complete UK MBT fleet to be upgraded to the Challenger 2 standard. The total bill for the contract was approximately £2.2 billion.

Although the hull and automotive parts of the Challenger 2 are based upon that of its predecessor Challenger 1, the new tank incorporates over 150 improvements which have achieved substantially increased reliability and ease of maintenance. The Challenger 2 turret is, however, of a totally new design. The vehicle has a crew of four - commander, gunner, loader/signaller and driver and is equipped with a 120mm rifled Royal Ordnance L30 gun firing all current tank ammunition natures plus the new depleted uranium (DU) round with a stick charge propellant system.

The design of the turret incorporates several of the significant features that Vickers had developed for its Mk 7 MBT (a Vickers turret on a Leopard 2 chassis). The central feature is an entirely new fire control system based on the Ballistic Control System developed by Computing Devices Company (Canada) for the US Army's M1A1 MBT. This second generation computer incorporates dual 32-bit processors with a MIL STD1553B databus and has sufficient growth potential to accept Battlefield Information Control System (BICS) functions and navigation aids (a GPS satnav system). The armour is an uprated version of Challenger 1's Chobham armour.

Challenger 2 has shown itself to be one of the most, if not the most, reliable pieces of major equipment ever brought into service with the British Army. Extensive use on exercises in the UK, Germany, Poland, Canada and Oman, plus operational service in Bosnia and Kosovo has shown CR2 to be a battle winning asset that has performed well beyond its design specifications.

The Strategic Defence Review of 1999 reduced the number of RAC armour regiments from eight to six. Each of the six armoured regiments are organised for 58 Challenger 2, within four squadrons. The remaining tanks are spread among Army Training and Recruiting Agency (ATRA) Schools, LAND training establishments, trials requirements and operational and logistic stocks. The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards took delivery of the first production models of the Challenger 2 on 30 Jun 98 and by early 2002 deliveries of all 386 Challenger 2 MBTs and 22 DTTs were complete.

The only export order so far is an Omani order for 38 x Challenger which includes 2 x Driver Training Vehicles and 4 x Challenger Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicles.

Challenger 2 successfully completed its Reliability Growth Trial (RGT) in 1994 and during these trials three vehicles were tested over a total of about 285 battlefield days. For the purposes of the trial a battlefield day consisted of:

27 kms of Road Travel
33 kms of Cross Country Travel
Firing 34 Main Armament Rounds
Firing 1,000 7.62mm MG rounds
16 Hours of Weapon Systems Operation
10 Hours of Main Engine Idling
3.5 Hours of Main Engine Running - Mobile