Challenger 3

Challenger 3
Challenger 3 Tech Demonstrator
TypeMain battle tank
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Service history
In serviceFrom 2025[1]
Used byBritish Army
Production history
DesignerRheinmetall BAE Systems Land
Designed2020s
ManufacturerRheinmetall BAE Systems Land
Produced2025–2030[1]
No. built148 (Planned)[2]
Specifications
Mass66 tonnes (65 long tons; 73 short tons)[3]
Crew4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver)
Armour"new Modular Armour" consisting of External "EPSOM" and Internal "Farnham" Armour,[4][5] APS[6]
Main
armament
120 mm Rheinmetall L55A1 smoothbore gun
EnginePerkins CV12-9A 26.1 litre V12 diesel[7]
1,500 bhp (1118 kW)[8]
TransmissionDavid Brown Santasalo TN54E epicyclic transmission (six forward, two reverse) with new component improvements.[9][10]
SuspensionHorstman third generation Hydrogas[11][12][13]

Challenger 3 (CR3) is a British fourth-generation main battle tank in development for the British Army. It will be produced by the conversion of existing Challenger 2 tanks by the British/German Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land joint venture.

Improvements to Challenger 2 began in 2005 as the Capability And Sustainment Programme (CSP) to keep the Challenger 2 competitive until the 2030s. Lack of funding[14] meant that it was not until 2014 that the programme was formally reorganised into the "Challenger 2 Life Extension Programme" (LEP). In response to the LEP programme, two prototypes were submitted for evaluation; one from BAE Systems in 2018[15] and the other from Rheinmetall in 2019.[16] Later that year BAE and Rheinmetall merged their British operations into Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL), effectively leaving Rheinmetall's proposal the only option available without replacing the Challenger 2 fleet with foreign models.[17]

The Challenger 3 has an all-new turret with an improved hull. The most significant change from Challenger 2 to Challenger 3 is the replacement of the Challenger's main armament from a 120 mm L30A1 rifled main gun to the 120 mm L55A1[18] smoothbore gun (which itself is an upgraded version of the L55 fitted to the Leopard 2A6/A7 family of main battle tanks) giving commonality with other NATO members. Ammunition is to be developed in conjunction with Rheinmetall AG, with a new kinetic energy round being developed for Challenger 3 and Leopard 2.[19]

The entry into service of the Challenger 3 has been brought forward to 2025, not 2027 as originally planned. The first units are to be delivered to the British Army in 2025. A total of 148 tanks are to be produced, with costs estimated at 906.89 million British pounds sterling (1.17 billion US dollars).[20] By the spring of 2024, eight pre-production tanks had been delivered and trials had commenced in Germany.

  1. ^ a b "The United Kingdom accelerates the Challenger 3 tank program". mil.in.ua. 9 June 2024. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  2. ^ "British Army to get 148 Challenger 3 tanks in £800m deal". BBC News. 7 May 2021. Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  3. ^ "Challenger 3 vs Challenger 2 (Infographic)" (PDF). Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land. 29 April 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  4. ^ "Obsolescent and outgunned: the British Army's armoured vehicle capability: Government Response to the Committee's Fifth Report of Session 2019–21". www.parliament.uk. UK Parliament. 21 May 2021. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  5. ^ "UK Army set to receive 148 next gen 'Challenger 3' MBT's". Defence & Security Systems International. 10 May 2021. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  6. ^ "Pioneering new technology for Challenger 3 tank". British Army. 24 June 2021. Archived from the original on 14 May 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  7. ^ Baroness Goldie (22 April 2022). "Challenger Tanks: Engines". House of Lords Debates. UK Parliament. Archived from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2022 – via TheyWorkForYou.
  8. ^ Sam Hart (4 September 2023). "Insight: The UK's Challenger 3 tank programme gets ready for service in 2025".
  9. ^ "TN54E Tracked Vehicle Transmission". David Brown Santasalo. Archived from the original on 20 February 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  10. ^ "Work begins to prepare Challenger 2 vehicles for upgrade programme". UK Ministry of Defence - Defence Equipment & Support. 28 July 2021. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  11. ^ "Gen 3 HydroGas Project". Tenders Electronic Daily - Supplement to the Official Journal of the EU. 12 January 2020. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  12. ^ "Repair and Conversion Hydrogas Gen 3 Suspension Parts". Tenders Electronic Daily - Supplement to the Official Journal of the EU. 15 July 2020. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  13. ^ "Project: 701547382 - Procurement of HAAIP Main Engine Cooling Fans – Annex A, Contract Notice Supporting Information Document". UK MOD, Defence Sourcing Portal. 26 April 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  14. ^ "Challenger 2 Life Extension Project – Interim". Think Defence. 21 November 2015. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022.
  15. ^ "DVD 2018: BAE Systems displays Challenger 2 LEP nicknamed Black Night". Army Recognition. 21 September 2018. Archived from the original on 20 January 2024.
  16. ^ Cazalet, Mark (23 January 2019). "IAV 2019: Rheinmetall unveils proposal for Challenger 2 LEP". Janes. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  17. ^ Allison, George (14 January 2020). "Challenger 2 Life Extension Programme decision due late 2020". UK Defence Journal. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023.
  18. ^ "Rheinmetall modernizing the UK's main battle tank Challenger 2 fleet". Rheinmetall Defence. 10 May 2021. Archived from the original on 12 May 2021.
  19. ^ "partnering-agreement-optimise-tank-ammunition-programme". UK Ministry of Defence - Defence Equipment & Support. 27 April 2023. Archived from the original on 20 July 2023.
  20. ^ "The United Kingdom accelerates the Challenger 3 tank program". Militarnyi. Retrieved 9 June 2024.