The British Army has expanded its fleet of foremost battle tanks by 32 p.c, after bringing 69 Challenger 2 tanks out of storage and into service, which has introduced the full fleet measurement as much as 288 tanks from simply 219 in late 2024. This was revealed within the annual statistical launch on UK armed forces gear in late October. Though near 450 Challenger 2s have been produced from 1986-1993, of which solely 38 have been constructed for export, the British Army was on the time virtually double its present measurement, at 154,000 personnel and 1600 tanks in comparison with roughly 80,000 lively personnel right this moment. The massive majority of the automobiles have thus for years been in storage, with additional cuts to the lively fleet to only 148 tanks having been deliberate. The choice to develop the fleet has been taken at a time when British forces have for years been closely concerned in lively hostilities with Russia within the Ukrainian theatre, together with the Royal Marines who’ve been on the frontlines since early 2022, in addition to SAS items, advisors, logisticians and technical specialists.
The capabilities of the Challenger 2 have been repeatedly dropped at query, together with by British consultants, Ukrainain crews who’ve used the automobiles in excessive depth fight, and Russian consultants. The tank’s fireplace controls are thought of removed from leading edge, with its reliance on first technology thermal sights, in comparison with the third technology sights used on extra trendy automobiles such because the Russian T-90M and South Korean K2, being a significant shortcoming. Reliance on a rifled fairly than a smoothbore gun has resulted in a considerably poorer penetrative functionality in opposition to enemy armour. Ukrainian crews have additionally thought of the tank to be underpowered, with its 1,200 horsepower engine leading to a poor energy/weight ratio for the 70 ton automobiles. CEO of Russian defence and expertise large Rostec Sergey Chemezov in June singled out the Challenger 2 for its significantly poor capabilities in comparison with the rival American M1A1 Abrams and German Leopard 2A6.
Former British Army officer and outstanding defence commentator Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Crawford in October noticed that the Challenger 2 was constructed round a “now out of date design philosophy,” and that “present technology of Western foremost battle tanks, Leopard 2, M1A2 Abrams, and now CR3, are more and more seen as too massive, heavy, pricey, and weak to justify additional growth alongside conventional strains.” He highlighted that points with the automobile’s unsatisfactory mobility are set to be exacerbated by plans to improve them to the Challenger 3 customary, which can enhance their weights to 80 tons whereas counting on the identical already underpowered engines.
Relating to the Challenger 2’s format, Crawford noticed that “the normal three-crew turret format is outdated when autoloaders and distant turrets are extensively obtainable.” He added that future tanks “are more likely to observe Russia’s T-14 Armata mannequin, with crews enclosed in armoured capsules inside the hull. This method reduces the automobile’s profile and weight.” Whereas the Chinese language Kind 100 is presently the one operational tank kind construct round such a design idea, the Challenger 2 is on the alternative aspect of the spectrum of tanks, which is predicted to depart it significantly poorly fitted to fight within the period of drone warfare and loitering munitions. The tank has taken vital losses within the Ukrainian theatre regardless of its very restricted deployments on the frontlines, with the far more intensive use of the American M1A1 and German Leopard 2 leading to a lot increased attrition charges.
