Challenger 3 Main Battle Tank

[Husky_Khan]

With 148 planned on entering service with the British Royal Army at a cost of 800 million pounds.

More lethal with a thick 120mm smoothbore gun and 'programmable' ammunition.

An upgraded Challenger 2 hull with improved suspension, fancy auto detection systems, long range thermal optics, and more advanced engine as well as more digital communications and information systems.

It's expected to start operating in 2027.

 

[Jormungandr]

So, one of (if not the?) most advanced main battle tanks in the world is getting a significant upgrade? Huh. Well, so long as it comes with a boiler.

 

[PsihoKekec]

(if not the?)

Absolutely not the. Abrams, Leopard and Leclerc all got significant upgrades, as did T-72, T-80 and T-90, while Russians, Japanese and Koreans (with Turkey building copy) are also building new designs. Challenger 2 on the other hand received no significant update in 20 years. The biggest problem is its gun, whose ammo is incompatible with NATO standards, which means they can't share with the allies.

 

[Jormungandr]

In that case, I'll amend that to was the most technologically advanced, at one point.

Still, I'm curious to see the new finalized design: I know they're upgrading the 2's to the new standard and are reusing the same hulls, but we've been known to radically alter our tanks per upgrade in the past.

I mean, heck, the 2's share only less than 5% of interchangeable parts with the 1? Then again, the 2 was an entirely new tank, not an upgrade.

 

[ATP]

No 140mm gun? pity.

 

[Zachowon]

Pshh
Abrams still getting upgraded to M1A3 soon. If nit already.

But good for the brits. New tanks

 

[Jormungandr]

Pshh
Abrams still getting upgraded to M1A3 soon. If nit already.

But good for the brits. New tanks

I'm wondering if it's time for a new MBT than keeping the Abrams updated. I mean, I know the tech's good, but you're still retrofitting hulls from over thirty years ago now.

I also think the new Challengers should be a new tank entirely, even if the new hull design that's fabricated is a copy of the ones used for the 2's (metallurgy advances in recent times is in mind).

 

[Zachowon]

I'm wondering if it's time for a new MBT than keeping the Abrams updated. I mean, I know the tech's good, but you're still retrofitting hulls from over thirty years ago now.

I also think the new Challengers should be a new tank entirely, even if the new hull design that's fabricated is a copy of the ones used for the 2's (metallurgy advances in recent times is in mind).

The Abrams design is what they are keeping, and making new hulls for tanks now instead of just upgrading. SOme of them yes, but not all

 

[paulobrito]

No 140mm gun? pity.

You don't have an available 140mm tank gun. The 120mm accepted, Rheinmetall 120mm L55A1, is the most advanced one in NATO. Even the 130mm is still in development.

 

[PsihoKekec]

I also think the new Challengers should be a new tank entirely,

UK doesn't have the capability to make the composite armor tank hull anymore.

 

[Jormungandr]

UK doesn't have the capability to make the composite armor tank hull anymore.

Oh, we do: We have the manufacturing capability and tools, but a) cost and b) the lack of will, hence the retrofit upgrade than new hulls -- the bane of any country, sigh.

 

[ATP]

You don't have an available 140mm tank gun. The 120mm accepted, Rheinmetall 120mm L55A1, is the most advanced one in NATO. Even the 130mm is still in development.

What about prototypes from cold war times ? i read,that new NATO tank would get 140mm gun,so some prototype should exist.

 

[paulobrito]

Some exist indeed, but if I remember the specs correctly they are more or less equal to today's latest 120mm, and are bigger, with more recoil and lower ammo. We are talking about prototypes of about 30 years ago, a lot of development occurs during that time. The best bet today is the L55A1, and in the near future (aka, next 10 years) the 130mm that Rheinmetall is developing.