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The British Challenger 2 is the Main Battle Tank currently in service with the armies of the United Kingdom and Oman . OVERVIEW The Challenger 2 is a main battle tank built by the British company Alvis Vickers Ltd (now part of BAE Systems Land Systems ). Although sharing a name with the Challenger 1 , its predecessor, it shares few parts. Challenger 2 has replaced the Challenger 1 in service with the British Army and is also used by the Royal Army Of Oman . The UK placed orders for 127 Challenger 2 tanks in 1991 and an additional 259 in 1994 . Oman ordered 18 Challenger 2 in 1993 and a further 20 tanks November 1997 . Challenger 2 entered service with the British Army in 1998 and the last was delivered in 2002 . It is expected to remain in service until 2035. Deliveries for Oman were completed in 2001 . Challenger 2 has seen operational service in Bosnia , Kosovo and Iraq (2003-present). HISTORY Vickers Defence Systems (then Alvis Vickers Ltd, now BAE Systems Land Systems) began to develop a successor to the Challenger 1 as a private venture in 1986. Following the issue of a Staff Requirement for a next-generation tank, Vickers formally submitted its plans for the Challenger 2 to the MOD . They were awarded a £90 million contract for a demonstrator vehicle in December 1988. In June 1991 - after competition from other tank manufacturers (the M1A2 Abrams, the Leopard II (Improved) and the Leclerc were amongst the options) - the MOD placed a £520 million order for 127 MBTs and 13 driver training vehicles. This was augmented in 1994 with an order for a further 259 tanks and 9 driver trainers (worth £800 million). Oman ordered 18 Challenger 2s in 1993 and a further 20 tanks November 1997 . Production began in 1993 at two primary sites - Scottswood, Newcastle Upon Tyne and Barnbow, Leeds , although over 250 subcontractors were involved. The first tanks were delivered in July 1994. The Challenger 2 successfully completed its Reliability Growth Trial in 1994; Three vehicles were tested for 285 simulated battlefield days. Each day is known to have consisted of:
An equally important milestone was the In-Service Reliability Demonstration (ISRD) in 1999. 12 fully crewed tanks were tested at the Bovington test tracks and at Lulworth Bindon ranges. The tank exceeded all staff requirements. The tank went into service with the British Army in June 1998 with the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards in Germany and the last vehicles were delivered in 2002. Oman received its last tanks in 2001. It is expected to remain in service until around 2035. DESIGN Armament Challenger 2 is equipped with an 120 mm L30A1 tank gun, the successor to the gun used on the Challenger 1. The gun is made from high-strength Electro-slag Refined (ESR) Steel with a chromium alloy lining and, like earlier British 120 mm guns, is insulated by a thermal sleeve. It is fitted with a muzzle reference system, fume extraction and is gyro-stabilised. Because the British Army continues to place a premium on the use of high-explosive squash head ( HESH ) rounds in addition to saboted rounds, the Challenger 2's cannon is rifled, making it unique among the NATO-allied army MBTs. HESH rounds continue to be used by the British for two reasons; they have longer range than saboted penetrator rounds and they are more effective against buildings and thin-skinned vehicles (of course, they are also cheaper than the CHARM 3). Around 50 rounds can be carried from a selection of APFSDS , HESH or smoke. A Depleted Uranium (DU) APFSDS round known as CHARM 1 (CHallenger ARMament) was produced, this has been replaced with the improved CHARM 3 round. As with earlier versions of the 120 mm gun, the rounds are two part consisting of a separate charge and warhead. Contrary to much speculation, this does not reduce the rate of fire of the Challenger 2. In fact, a loader can often sustain a higher rate of fire than auto-loaders with single piece ammunition. Further, separate charge sticks reduce the likelihood of enemy fire igniting the ammunition. The gun control is an all-electric control and stabilisation system. A 7.62 mm Chain Gun is fitted to the left of the main gun. A 7.62 mm L37A2 Machine Gun for anti-air defence is mounted on the commander's Cupola . 4000 7.62mm rounds are carried. The digital fire control computer from Computing Devices Company (now General Dynamics – Canada ) contains two 32-bit processors with a MIL STD1553B databus and has capacity for additional systems, for example a Battlefield Information Control System. The commander has a panoramic SAGEM VS 580-10 gyrostabilised sight with Laser Rangefinder Elevation range is +35° to - 35°. The commander's station is equipped with eight Periscopes for 360° vision. The Thermal Observation and Gunnery Sight II (TOGS II), from Thales , provides Night Vision . The thermal image is displayed on both the gunner's and commander's sights and monitors. The gunner has a stabilised Primary Sight using a laser rangefinder with a range of 200 m to 10 km. The driver is equipped with Thales Optronics image-intensifying Passive Driving Periscope (PDP) for night driving. The British Army maintained its requirement for a four-man crew (including a loader) after risk analysis of the incorporation of an automatic loader suggested that auto-loaders reduced battlefield survivability. Mechanical failure and the time required for repair are prime concerns. Further, a manual loader is able to maintain a higher rate of fire than possible with current auto-loaders. Defence As part of the British military doctrine of strong troop survival, the Challenger 2 is the most heavily armoured western made tank, the turret and hull are protected with second generation Chobham Armour (also known as Dorchester) the details of which are still classified. Explosive Reactive Armour kits are also fitted as necessary. The nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) protection system is located in the turret bustle. On each side of the turret are five L8 Smoke Grenade dischargers. Challenger 2 can also create smoke by injecting diesel fuel into the exhaust manifolds. The Challenger 2E also has gauss coils fitted beneath its armour to protect against EMP blasts generated by a nuclear detonation. Drive System
:Maximum speed 37 mph, 59 km/h (road) 25 mph, 40 km/h (cross country) :Range 280 miles, 450 km (road) 156 miles, 250 km (cross country). OPERATIONAL USAGE Challenger 2 had already been used in peacekeeping missions and exercises before but its first combat use came in March 2003 during the invasion of Iraq. 7 Armoured Brigade , part of 1st Armoured Division , was in action with 120 Challenger 2s. The tanks saw extensive use during the siege of Basra , providing fire support to the British forces. There was only one loss due to a blue-on-blue incident (friendly fire) in which one Challenger 2 mistakenly shot another, destroying the second tank and killing two crew members. In one encounter a Challenger 2 took hits from multiple Rocket Propelled Grenade s and one ATGW round. The crew survived and the tank was subsequently recovered. The tank's availability was excellent and the problems that were suffered during the large Saif Sareea II exercise of eighteen months earlier were solved by the issuing of Urgent Operational Requirements for equipment such as sand filters. UPGRADES AND VARIANTS Challenger 2E Challenger 2E is an improved version of the tank. It has a new integrated weapon control and battlefield management system, which includes a gyrostabilised panoramic SAGEM MVS 580 day/thermal sight for the commander and SAGEM SAVAN 15 gyrostabilised day/thermal sight for the gunner, both with eyesafe laser rangefinder. This allows hunter/killer operations with a common engagement sequence. An optional servo-controlled overhead weapons platform can be slaved to the commander's sight to allow operation independent from the turret. The power pack has been replaced with a new 1500 hp (1100 kW) EuroPowerPack with transversely mounted MTU MT 883 diesel engine coupled to Renk HSWL 295TM automatic transmission. The smaller but more powerful engine allows more space for fuel storage, increasing the vehicle’s range to 550 km. The manufacturer announced in 2005 that development and export marketing of 2E would stop. This has been linked to the failure of the 2E to be selected for the Hellenic Army in 2002 (the Leopard II won the competition {Link without Title} ). CRARRV The Challenger '''A'''rmoured '''R'''epair and '''R'''ecovery '''V'''ehicle (CRARRV) is an armoured recovery vehicle based on the Challenger hull and designed to repair and recover damaged tanks on the battlefield. It has five seats but usually carries a crew of three soldiers from the Royal Electrical And Mechanical Engineers ( REME ), of the Vehicle Mechanic and Recovery Mechanic trades. There is room in the cabin for two further passengers (eg crew of the casualty vehicle) on a temporary basis. The size and performance are similar to the Challenger tank, but instead of armament it is fitted with:
Titan The Titan bridge layer vehicle, is based on the Challenger 2 running gear and will replace the ''Chieftain Armoured Vehicle Launched Bridge'' (ChAVLB). Titan is expected to come into service in 2006 with the Royal Engineers with 33 in service in the end. Trojan Trojan is a replacement for the ''Chieftain Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineer'' (ChAVRE) and like Titan uses Challenger 2 running gear. Trojan will carry an articulated excavator arm. Like Titan, 33 are intended to reach service. TRIVIA
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