Challenger 2
| Challenger 2 | |
|---|---|
Challenger 2 of the British Royal Armored Corps |
|
| General properties | |
| crew | 4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver) |
| length | 8.3 m (11.50 m with cannon) |
| width | 3.5 m (4.2 m with additional armor) |
| height | 3.04 m |
| Dimensions | 62.5 t |
| Unit price | ~ £ 4m |
| Armor and armament | |
| Armor | Dorchester - composite armor |
| Main armament | 1 × 120mm L30A1 50 bullets |
| Secondary armament | 1 × 7.62 mm L94A1 EX-34 1 × 7.62 mm L37A2 machine gun 4000 rounds |
| agility | |
| drive | Perkins CV-12 diesel 895 kW (1200 hp; 1217 PS) |
| suspension | hydropneumatically adjustable |
| Top speed | 59 km / h (37 mph) |
| Power / weight | 14 kW / t, 19.2 hp / t |
| Range | 450 km (279 miles) |
The Challenger 2 is the main battle tank of the armies of Great Britain and Oman , which was developed from 1986 and delivered for the first time in 1994.
development
It was made by the British armaments company Alvis Vickers Ltd. (formerly Vickers Defense Systems , today BAE Systems Land Systems ) developed and built as the successor to the Challenger 1 . In particular, the new, high-performance sensor equipment, an improved chassis suspension and an automatic transmission distinguish the Challenger 2 from its predecessor. In addition, the turret was completely redesigned and more heavily armored, especially at the top (Dorchester armor).
delivery
Great Britain ordered 127 Challenger 2s in 1991 and another 259 in 1994. The Royal Army of Oman ordered 18 Challenger 2s in 1993 and another 20 in November 1997. These tanks were adapted for use in desert areas (air filter systems) and received a more powerful 1100 kW diesel engine (see further development).
In June 1998 the British Army took the first Challenger 2 into service. The first unit to be equipped with the new tank was the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards stationed in Germany . The last tank was delivered in April 2002. However, the British Army intends to reduce stocks extensively, and the remaining vehicles are to be stored. In 2006 a final strength of around 200 Challenger 2 was planned. Oman had completed its Challenger 2 fleet in 2001.
technology
Armament
Unlike most other modern main battle tanks, the Challenger 2 is equipped with a 120 mm rifled barrel cannon , the Royal Ordnance L30 . The advantage over the smooth-barreled weapons that are otherwise used is a considerably higher firing range (around 9,000 meters compared to around 4,000 meters for the Leopard 2 A6 ). However, this gun achieves a significantly lower muzzle velocity and therefore has difficulties penetrating the modern layered and reactive armor of other main battle tanks. In January 2004, the armaments company BAE Systems was commissioned to develop a new smooth-barreled cannon for the Challenger 2. After various tests, the decision was made in favor of a licensed version of the 120 mm smooth barrel cannon L / 55 from Rheinmetall AG , which is also installed in the Leopard 2 A6. In January 2006, such a weapon was installed in a Challenger 2 for the first time. When attempting to shoot, the Rheinmetall cannon with the appropriate ammunition was much more powerful than the rifled cannon with its uranium nuclear ammunition . The equipping of all Challenger 2 with the new cannon has been delayed again and again and is no longer part of the planned modernizations.
particularities
In order to increase the range of the Challenger 2, the tank is equipped as standard with two 200-liter fuel barrels at the rear; A very unusual measure for western tanks, as these barrels can be a preferred target. In addition, the tank has a so-called "meteo sensor" that informs the crew about wind strength, air pressure and temperature and thus provides important data for the reference values of the cannon in fire fighting. Furthermore, as in many British combat vehicles, an integrated kettle is installed for the crew, with which tea and food can be prepared. Another special feature are the dust aprons, which reduce the swirling of dust and thus a clear signature when driving. This form of camouflage was later adopted by other armored forces.
Further development
An improved design, the Challenger 2E, has been tested in Greece , Qatar and Saudi Arabia . This further development has a more powerful V-12 diesel engine (Euro-Powerpack) MT-883 Ka-500 from MTU , with exhaust gas turbocharging, with an output of 1100 kW (1500 hp) and a total displacement of 27.4 liters, combined with the automatic transmission HSWL 295 TM from Renk . Greece and Qatar have chosen to purchase the Leopard 2 A6, which performed better than the Challenger 2 in tests. Reasons for the rejection of the Challenger 2 may lie in its high weight, the comparatively short range in the field and the fact that it is equipped with the outdated rifled cannon. When the United Arab Emirates decided in favor of the French Leclerc tank , the fact that it only required a three-man crew may have played a role.
Calls
The Challenger 2 was first deployed with the British Army in Bosnia as part of the UNPROFOR troops, later it was also used in the Kosovo conflict and in 2003 in the Iraq war .
A Challenger 2 of the Queen's Royal Lancers was mistakenly destroyed by self- fire on April 23, 2003 near Basra . A Challenger 2 belonging to the Black Watch Battlegroup had identified him as an enemy vehicle on the infrared viewing device, assuming it was an enemy flanking maneuver, and put him under fire. The second shot hit the open commander's hatch cover, causing hot splinters to get inside the tower. These caused the ammunition stored there to explode. Two crew members were killed and the tank destroyed. This is the only case so far in which a Challenger 2 has been completely destroyed.
Insurgents in Iraq succeeded in April 2007 with an IED that worked according to the shaped charge principle to break through the armor on the underside of the hull, causing the driver to lose both legs and another soldier to suffer minor injuries. Officially, the tank was then considered destroyed.
As early as August 2006, the lower front armor of the hull of a Challenger 2, which is significantly weaker than the turret armor, was penetrated by an RPG-29 Panzerfaust, causing the driver to be seriously wounded and to lose half of his left foot. In addition, several crew members suffered minor injuries. This information was only released by the UK Ministry of Defense in May 2007.
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ armedforces.co.uk: Challenger 2
- ↑ The barrel casing and other external details of the old cannon have been preserved
- ↑ Investigation report of the British Ministry of Defense: Board of Inquiry Report. (Online PDF 4.7 MB) ( Memento of September 30, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
- ^ Martin Beckford: Iraq bomb damages Britain's best tank . April 23, 2007, ISSN 0307-1235 ( telegraph.co.uk [accessed October 13, 2018]).
- ^ Richard Norton-Taylor: Roadside bomb pierces Challenger tank in Iraq. April 23, 2007, accessed October 13, 2018 .
- ^ Sean Rayment, Defense Correspondent: MoD kept failure of best tank quiet . May 12, 2007, ISSN 0307-1235 ( telegraph.co.uk [accessed November 22, 2018]).
