Challenger 1

FV 4030 Challenger
Challenger 1 at Tankfest 2009 at The Tank Museum
TypeMain battle tank
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Service history
In service
  • UK: 1983–2001 (repair and recovery derivative remains in service.)
  • Jordan: 1999–2022 (now stored)
Used by
WarsGulf War
Production history
ManufacturerRoyal Ordnance Factory
Unit cost£1.5 million (1987)[1]
Produced1983 to 1990
No. built420
Specifications
Mass62 t (61 long tons; 68 short tons)
70 t (69 long tons; 77 short tons) with additional armour modules
Length11.56 m (37 ft 11 in) (gun forward)
Width3.51 m (11 ft 6 in)
Height2.95 m (9 ft 8 in) (top of commander sight)
Crew4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver)

ArmourChobham composite ceramic vehicle armour
Main
armament
Royal Ordnance L11A5 120 mm rifled gun
64 rounds
Secondary
armament
7.62 mm L8A2, 7.62 mm L37A2 machine guns
4,000 rounds
EnginePerkins CV12 26 litre diesel
1,200 hp (895 kW)
Power/weight14.4 kW/tonne
TransmissionDavid Brown TN37 transmission (4 fwd, 3 rev.)
SuspensionHydropneumatic (hydrogas)
Operational
range
280 mi (450 km) on road
Maximum speed 35 mph (56 km/h)

The FV4030/4 Challenger 1 is a British main battle tank (MBT) used by the British Army from 1983 to 2001, when it was superseded by the Challenger 2. The majority of the Challenger 1 fleet was subsequently sold to Jordan where it remained in service with the Royal Jordanian Army until withdrawals were announced in 2018.[2] Known locally as Al-Hussein, these vehicles received various Jordanian modifications before being replaced by French-made Leclerc tanks from the UAE and ex-Italian B1 Centauro 8x8 wheeled tank destroyers. The Jordanian Challenger 1 fleet had been retired by January 2023.[3][4]

  1. ^ Hamilton, Archie (12 January 1987). "Challenger Tank (Cost)". House of Commons Debates. 108. HMSO. Column 95W. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  2. ^ Foss, Christopher (22 February 2018). "Jordan restructures its armoured formations". Jane's Defence Weekly. Archived from the original on 22 February 2018.
  3. ^ Clark, Robert (16 January 2023). "Britain is sending the Ukrainians the wrong tanks". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  4. ^ Binnie, Jeremy (20 October 2020). "Jordan exercises new Leclerc tanks". Janes Defence Weekly. Janes. Retrieved 25 January 2023.