Following the discharge of footage on September 5 exhibiting the primary destroyed Challenger 2 tank in Ukraine, additional particulars relating to the Russian strike that neutralised the car and pictures of the incident have emerged. A video captured by a drone confirmed the tank being hit by a guided projectile, with the car emitting a big plume of smoke after the strike which appeared to set off a fireplace onboard. The missile in query was initially purported to be a Vikhr-1 – a brand new missile sort launched by Russian Ka-52 assault helicopters which have taken a heavy toll on Ukrainian armour in latest months. Unconfirmed Russian stories, nevertheless, point out that the missile in query was in reality a Kornet – a person moveable anti tank missile. The British Ministry of Defence notably claimed that the Challenger 2 was destroyed in an artillery strike, with two consecutive hits on the car destroying it, though these claims have been undermined by the later launched footage of the incident. A report from British state media additional claimed {that a} Lancet drone was chargeable for the strike, though this was additionally contradicted by the footage. As tanks and different equally sized transferring targets are troublesome to focus on with artillery, claiming that an artillery strike destroyed the car would have finished much less injury to the popularity of the Challenger 2 program than conceding that they’re susceptible to Russian guided anti tank missiles. The Challenger 2 is notably slower, has a much less highly effective gun and has much less superior hearth controls than prime finish American and German tanks, and is promoted primarily for the diploma of armour safety it enjoys. This makes its obvious frontal penetration and destruction notably damaging to its popularity.
British Secretary of Defence Grant Shapps on September 6 confirmed the destruction of the Challenger 2 in Ukraine, and said the there have been no plans to interchange the car. With solely 14 Challenger 2s in its fleet, the Ukrainian Army has prevented deploying the autos for frontline operations because it has withs its Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 tanks and American Bradley infantry preventing autos, which have all taken very heavy losses in latest offensives. Challengers 2s have been first sighted close to the frontlines in July, and have been modified since supply to Ukraine with cage armour to supply a level of safety in opposition to drones and ‘prime assault’ missiles. The Challenger 2 notably lacks blowout panels like American Abrams and German Leopard 2 tanks, which seems to have been an element within the turret’s destruction after the strike – a vulnerability shared by Ukraine’s T-64 tanks. An identical inner detonation of ammunition occurred throughout the Iraq Warfare when a Challenger 2 was destroyed by pleasant hearth. The footage exhibiting the destruction of the Challenger 2 tank notably confirmed a line of Ukrainian army autos which had all been equally destroyed together with a Soviet-built T-64 tank. It’s one in every of a number of comparable items of footage to have been launched since early June indicating very vital losses for Ukrainian armour.
