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Challenger 2

British main battle tank

Key facts

Type: Main battle tank
Place of origin: United Kingdom
In service: 1998–present
Used by: British Army Royal Army of Oman Ukrainian Ground Forces
Wars: UNMIBH Kosovo War Iraq War Russo-Ukrainian War
Designer: Vickers Defence Systems
Designed: 1986–1993
Manufacturer: Alvis plc Vickers plc BAE Systems Land & Armaments
Unit cost: £4,217,000 (FY 1999)
Produced: 1990 (prototypes) 1993–2002 (main production)
Number span no built: about 447
Mass: 64 t (63 long tons ; 71 short tons ), 75 t (74 long tons; 83 short tons) with combat armour modules
Length: 8.3 m (27 ft 3 in), 13.5 m (44 ft 3 in) gun forward
Width: 3.5 m (11 ft 6 in), 4.2 m (13 ft 9 in) with appliqué armour
Height: 2.49 m (8 ft 2 in)
Crew: 4 (commander, gunner, loader–operator, driver)
Armour: Chobham / Dorchester Level 2 (classified)
Main armament: L30A1 120 mm rifled gun with 47 rounds

via Wikipedia infobox

Article

The FV4034 Challenger 2 (MoD designation "CR2") is a third generation British main battle tank (MBT) in service with the armies of the United Kingdom, Oman, and Ukraine.

It was designed by Vickers Defence Systems (now Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL)) as a private venture in 1986, and was an extensive redesign of the company's earlier Challenger 1 tank. The Ministry of Defence ordered a prototype in December 1988. The Challenger 2 has four crew members consisting of a commander, gunner, loader, and driver. The main armament is a L30A1 120-millimetre (4.7 in) rifled tank gun, an improved derivative of the L11 gun used on the Chieftain and Challenger 1. Fifty rounds of ammunition are carried for the main armament, alongside 4,200 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition for the tank's secondary weapons: a L94A1 EX-34 chain gun mounted coaxially, and a L37A2 (GPMG) machine gun. The turret and hull are protected with second generation Chobham armour, also known as Dorchester. Powered by a Perkins CV12-6A V12 diesel engine, the tank has a range of 550 kilometres (340 mi) and maximum road speed of 59 kilometres per hour (37 mph).