London delivers Kyiv main battle tanks: what the British Challenger 2 can do

London delivers main battle tanks to Kyiv
What the British Challenger 2 can do

Great Britain wants to deliver Challenger 2 to Ukraine. The tank is considered heavy and slow. However, when fighting against fortified positions, it could prove to be an effective weapon, says an expert.

Britain will deliver 14 Challenger 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine in the coming weeks. This was announced by the office of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a statement late Saturday evening. Ukrainian soldiers are to be trained to use the device in the coming days. So far, western countries have not sent any battle tanks of their own production to Ukraine. London’s decision therefore also increases the pressure on Berlin to deliver German “Leopard 2” tanks to the Ukraine.

The Challenger 2 was developed in the 1980s, entered service in the mid 1990s and has been continuously modernized ever since. According to the manufacturer BAE Land Systems, it is designed for “fighting against mechanized opponents”. The main battle tank is the backbone of the British land forces. London currently has 224 examples, divided between four regiments. So far, the Challenger 2 has been used both in Bosnia and in the Iraq war.

The Challenger 2’s target acquisition and fire control system are considered excellent. Its composite armor is also considered reliable. The main armament is a 120mm caliber armored car cannon. He also has a machine gun and a machine cannon – both in caliber 7.62 millimeters. In addition, a remote control system can be mounted on the turret, which can be equipped with a heavy machine gun.

Does not fire standard NATO ammunition

Unlike many other western main battle tanks, the Challenger 2 does not have a smoothbore gun, but a rifled barrel. This allows it to fire further with its main weapon, but it is less likely to penetrate the armor of other modern tanks with its shells. Due to the main gun, it cannot fire standard NATO ammunition, which many experts consider a disadvantage.

The 65-ton tank is designed for four crew members. With modules, the weight can increase to 75 tons, making it the heaviest modern main battle tank in the world. The Russian T-90 weighs less than 50 tons. With its 1200 hp engine, the Challenger 2 reaches a top speed of 59 kilometers per hour, off the beaten track the top speed drops to 40 kilometers per hour. For comparison: The “Leopard 2 A7” can reach speeds of up to 70 kilometers per hour.

“At least equal to many of its Russian counterparts”

The Challenger 2 has a range of up to 450 kilometers. As a special feature, it can carry two additional fuel barrels at the rear. Although this increases the range, it is also a good target for enemy tank destroyers. Apart from Great Britain, only Oman has so far used the Challenger 2. In view of possible suppliers and the availability of ammunition and spare parts, this makes it less attractive for Kyiv than the German “Leopard”, which is used by 20 countries worldwide.

“Should it come to tank duels, the Challenger 2 would be at least equal to many of its Russian counterparts,” says Ralf Raths, director of the German Tank Museum in Munster, to “Spiegel”. “Russia often uses older main battle tanks like the T62 in the Ukraine, which only has old steel armor. A Challenger 2 can penetrate it, especially if heavy uranium core ammunition is used.”

According to Rath, the Challenger 2 is particularly suitable for cracking bunker systems. “The old Challenger 2 barrels are perfectly suited for pinch-head ammunition,” explains the tank expert. Because while armor-piercing kinetic rounds concentrate their energy on a small point and leave a small hole, Challenger 2 pinch-head rounds can burst open on impact and cause extensive damage in the interior. “This makes the Challenger 2 perfectly suited to knocking out bunkers and buildings during a Ukrainian counter-offensive,” says Raths.

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