Challenger Tank 2. What is known about the British car and how it will help the Armed Forces

The main battle tank of Challenger 2 is the development of Vickers Defense Systems (now part of Bae Systems Land & Armaments). The machine is a deep modernization of Challenger 1. The work on the development of the tank began in 1986. The UK Ministry of Defense has placed requirements for the next generation tank. Vickers have submitted their proposals for the creation of Challenger 2.

It is known that some high -ranking officials of the British defense department were skeptical of Challenger 2 because the project was compared with the American M1 Abrams. However, the Cabinet of Ministers Minister Baron Yang was on the side of Challenger 2, after which the Margaret Tetcher government decided to continue working on Challenger 2. Vickers received funding for 90 million pounds to develop a demonstration machine, which was to be demonstrated until September 1990.

The CHALLENGER 2 in the British Ministry of Defense was called through the effectiveness of Challenger 1 during the Persian Gulf war. Finally, in June 1991, it was the British development that won the Tender of the Ministry of Defense for the purchase of tanks. The competitors were Leopard 2, Leclerc and M1A2 Abrams. Vickers received a 127 VTI contract and 13 drivers to train drivers. The British Army received the first tanks in July 1994.

Challenger 2 failed the reception trials in the British Armed Forces in 1994, so it was sent to test a progressive increase in reliability. Three tanks passed different tests for 285 days of simulation battles. Officially, Challeger 2 was released only in 1998. Not only did the new machine go through the reliability tests, but also exceeded all the regular requirements.

During the development of the tank received a rifled l30a1 gun, which distinguishes British development between all other Western machines that have a smooth -bore gun. This is due to the fact that the British army continues to give preference to the armor-piercing and fugural shells of Hesh, which have greater kinetic energy and other tank ammunition. However, such a gun is a slightly smaller barrel resource-about 500 shots compared to 800-1000 in smooth-bore.

The tank was made by 2004, after which production was rolled up because of the absence of orders both domestically and in the world. The only foreign customer was Oman. A total of 38 tanks were purchased in 1993 and another 20 in 1997. Challenger 2 is considered one of the most protected tanks in the world. With additional booking, the mass of the machine can reach 75 tons. For comparison, the weight of Leopard 2A4 and 2A6, which is also in the Armed Forces, is 55 and 62. 5 tons, respectively.

At the same time, German tanks have more powerful engines with 1500 horsepower, making them more maneuvering and more powerful. Challenger 2 towers and housing are made of Dorchester's armor 2 generations whose details are classified. Protecting the crew of the machine was a primary task for designers. Additional reservations can be applied with both dynamic protection elements and anticumulative grilles. In addition, the silhouette of the machine was made such as to reduce its radar visibility.

The fact that the British Army values ​​the comfort of the crew is that in every tank from Centurion to Challenger 2 there is a boil so that the tankers can warm up food or make a drink. It is worth noting that in the UK now new ammunition for the Challer 2 tank with Germany is being developed. This distinguishes the Western School of Tancowing from the Soviet. Also inside the tank the crew is not surrounded by ammunition, as in the Soviet ones.

Instead of a Challenger 2 charging machine, it has a charging manual that charges the gun. The shells are placed in the protected department of the tower. As mentioned above, the British tank received a rifled gun for armor-piercing ammunition. If you say in simple words, the projectile is made with quite thin walls, and at its end install a blast. During the defeat, the ammunition target deforms until the blast will undermine the entire explosive in the projectile.

This creates high pressure on the object that causes the internal destruction of the armor or the wall of the building. In addition to armor-piercing ammunition, there are traditional armor-piercing that produce from impoverished uranium. In the middle of Challenger 2, a 32-bit digital computer is installed that allows you to hit goals with more likelihood, thanks to optics, computers, and sensors in different ranges.

The baptism received a tank in peacekeeping missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo. However, there were no tank battles, the British tankers had real combatants during the Iraq war. Iraqi troops had T-55, T-62 and old T-72 modifications, as well as RPG-7 and various PTRCs. The United Kingdom did not lose any challenger 2 during a collision with the enemy. There were episodes when the tank withstood 14 RPG-7 from near distance, as well as a Milan PTRC rocket.

The tank crew was not injured and waited for evacuation inside the car. The only time Challenger 2 was lost in Iraq from a friendly fire in Basra. One crew mistakenly accepted the tank for the enemy and hit the projectile into the open lid of the commander's hatch. Two crew members were killed and the tank caught fire from the impact. In Ukraine, Challenger 2 tanks have not yet been spotted on the battlefield.