Modernization plan The production of the Challenger 2 main tank began in 1994 and lasted until 2002. The tank was officially commissioned in 1998. Immediately after that, the search for a way to modernize the equipment. of Challenger 2 began to be implemented, but until recently, all the ideas were not developed, for various reasons. However, the basic reason for refusing to modernize the Challenger 2 tank was lack of finance. RBLS introduces the tank model of the Challenger 2 Life Extension Project project in 2019. At the end of 2015, the British Ministry of Defense launched the Challenger Life Extension Project 2 (LEP), to upgrade its existing tank fleet. The project was originally planned to follow a “small” modernization, focusing only on instrumentation. The project was then completed in 2019. However, in 2019, the LEP program was relaunched, with new requirements. Proposals are currently being made for a larger modernization, focusing on weapons systems, power plant complexes, turrets and other structures. In addition, the project also considers modifying the volume and cost of the modernization process. In 2019, the German-British joint venture Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) proposed the Challenger-2 modernization project. In September of the same year, the new experimental tank of the project appeared at an exhibition. Then the necessary tests are carried out, in order to determine the actual characteristics and compare with other competing development projects. As a result, RBSL’s project was recognized as the most successful and recommended for full-scale implementation. On May 7, 2021, the British Ministry of Defense announced the signing of a contract for the project. Some contents of the proposed modernization program have been reported in detail. Accordingly, the project will upgrade the Challenger-2 main tank into the Challenger 3 version. Main tank for the future Between 1994 and 2002, the British Army purchased 386 Challenger-2 tanks and 22 training vehicles. By 2010, the number of equipment in the lineup was reduced to 225 and has remained at that level to this day. According to previous plans, such a main tank force would be maintained until 2035. However, now the plan has been revised, regarding the Challenger 3 project. He started implementing the Challenger 2 Tank Life Extension Project since 2015. In March 2021, a new assessment of defense and security was published, which made a request to reduce the tank fleet. Accordingly, only 148 tanks will be used in the future and will be repaired and modernized. This allows them to remain in service until the 2040s. The remaining 77 vehicles will be retired from service. The new contract between the British Ministry of Defense and RBSL accepts this option and begins implementation. The main work of the Challenger 3 project will be carried out at the RBSL plant in Telford (UK). This project will provide 200 jobs, including 130 vacancies for engineers. Individual units will be provided by other companies, where another 450 jobs will be created. In the coming years, contractors will have to complete the project development and prepare the production line. The first tanks to be upgraded are scheduled to arrive in 2027. The last of 148 main battle tanks will return to service in 2030. The total cost of this modernization project, according to the contract. , would be £800 million (about £5.4 million/tank). The British Ministry of Defense highly appreciates the prospects of the new project. The country’s military expects the Challenger 3 to become a “world-class tank” and “NATO’s deadliest machine”. In addition, new weapons and other modern systems will allow the British Challenger-3 to surpass modern Russian main battle tanks. Comprehensive upgrade RBLS’s Challenger 3 project involves extensive modernization of the existing tank line, with the replacement of most major systems and equipment. As a result, the new tank will enhance mobility, increase protection, firepower and other important stats. In addition, the upgraded tank can function as part of a command combat system, along with a modern control system and easy data exchange. The main changes of the Challenger 3 project. During the upgrade process, the tank shell will receive new modular front armor. Its composition and properties are not specified, but the degree of protection is reported to be significantly increased. To replace the old tower, a new hood was developed with reinforced armor and the volume required to install new equipment. In the future, tanks will also receive active defense complexes. Challenger-3’s weapon system is equipped with a 120mm smoothbore gun Rheinmetall Rh 120 L55A1 manually loaded. Cannons can use a full range of existing and new ammunition for different purposes. In particular, the tank’s ammunition base will include new high-explosive fragmentation ammunition, with a DM11 programmable fuse. Additional weapons will include a remotely controlled machine gun combat module. RBSL intends to carry out a radical overhaul of the fire control system and other equipment on the tank. The lens system, control computer and other components of the tank will be selected new, without using the standard equipment of the Challenger 2. The fire control system will be combined with the associated vehicles. modern communication, providing the exchange of data on the tactical situation. Project outlook The Challenger 2 Life Extension Project (LEP) program has passed its first phase and is entering a new phase. In the coming years, the joint venture Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land and related companies will have to organize new content and kick-start work on a series of equipment modernization. According to the general plan, by 2030, the British army will completely renew its main tank force. Challenger 3 will be the main tank of the British army in the future. Due to a lack of funding, the British army could not afford to maintain a large tank fleet, and currently has only 225 main tanks. The modernization of all these equipment also becomes impossible and about a third of the tanks will have to be decommissioned due to lack of funds to restore. Besides, the increase in the capabilities of upgraded tanks is not only due to the benefit of new equipment and weapons. It is also based on the objective limitations and shortcomings of existing tanks. Accordingly, the Challenger-2 has not undergone a major upgrade and its characteristics remain at the level of the late 1990s. This fact led to the need to develop an entirely new combat unit. However, from a technical point of view, experts say that Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land’s Challenger 3 project seems quite successful. The proposed solutions are indeed capable of improving the technical characteristics and increasing the combat capabilities of existing tanks. In addition, all the necessary capabilities of a modern main tank are provided.

Modernization plan The production of the Challenger 2 main tank began in 1994 and lasted until 2002. The tank was officially commissioned in 1998. Immediately after that, the search for a way to modernize the equipment. of Challenger 2 began to be implemented, but until recently, all the ideas were not developed, for various reasons. However, the basic reason for refusing to modernize the Challenger 2 tank was lack of finance. RBLS introduces the tank model of the Challenger 2 Life Extension Project project in 2019. At the end of 2015, the British Ministry of Defense launched the Challenger Life Extension Project 2 (LEP), to upgrade its existing tank fleet. The project was originally planned to follow a “small” modernization, focusing only on instrumentation. The project was then completed in 2019. However, in 2019, the LEP program was relaunched, with new requirements. Proposals are currently being made for a larger modernization, focusing on weapons systems, power plant complexes, turrets and other structures. In addition, the project also considers modifying the volume and cost of the modernization process. In 2019, the German-British joint venture Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) proposed the Challenger-2 modernization project. In September of the same year, the new experimental tank of the project appeared at an exhibition. Then the necessary tests are carried out, in order to determine the actual characteristics and compare with other competing development projects. As a result, RBSL’s project was recognized as the most successful and recommended for full-scale implementation. On May 7, 2021, the British Ministry of Defense announced the signing of a contract for the project. Some contents of the proposed modernization program have been reported in detail. Accordingly, the project will upgrade the Challenger-2 main tank into the Challenger 3 version. Main tank for the future Between 1994 and 2002, the British Army purchased 386 Challenger-2 tanks and 22 training vehicles. By 2010, the number of equipment in the lineup was reduced to 225 and has remained at that level to this day. According to previous plans, such a main tank force would be maintained until 2035. However, now the plan has been revised, regarding the Challenger 3 project. He started implementing the Challenger 2 Tank Life Extension Project since 2015. In March 2021, a new assessment of defense and security was published, which included a request to reduce the tank fleet. Accordingly, only 148 tanks will be used in the future and will be repaired and modernized. This allows them to remain in service until the 2040s. The remaining 77 vehicles will be retired from service. The new contract between the British Ministry of Defense and RBSL accepts this option and begins implementation. The main work of the Challenger 3 project will be carried out at the RBSL plant in Telford (UK). This project will provide 200 jobs, including 130 vacancies for engineers. Individual units will be provided by other companies, where another 450 jobs will be created. In the coming years, contractors will have to complete the project development and prepare the production line. The first tanks to be upgraded are scheduled to arrive in 2027. The last of 148 main battle tanks will return to service in 2030. The total cost of this modernization project, according to the contract. , would be £800 million (about £5.4 million/tank). The British Ministry of Defense highly appreciates the prospects of the new project. The country’s military expects the Challenger 3 to become a “world-class tank” and “NATO’s deadliest machine”. In addition, new weapons and other modern systems will allow the British Challenger-3 to surpass modern Russian main battle tanks. Comprehensive upgrade RBLS’s Challenger 3 project involves extensive modernization of the existing tank line, with the replacement of most major systems and equipment. As a result, the new tank will enhance mobility, increase protection, firepower and other important stats. In addition, the upgraded tank can function as part of a command combat system, along with a modern control system and easy data exchange. The main changes of the Challenger 3 project. During the upgrade process, the tank shell will receive new modular front armor. Its composition and properties are not specified, but the degree of protection is reported to be significantly increased. To replace the old tower, a new hood was developed with reinforced armor and the volume required to install new equipment. In the future, tanks will also receive active defense complexes. Challenger-3’s weapon system is equipped with a 120mm smoothbore gun Rheinmetall Rh 120 L55A1 manually loaded. Cannons can use a full range of existing and new ammunition for different purposes. In particular, the tank’s ammunition base will include new high-explosive fragmentation ammunition, with a DM11 programmable fuse. Additional weapons will include a remotely controlled machine gun combat module. RBSL intends to carry out a radical overhaul of the fire control system and other equipment on the tank. The lens system, control computer and other components of the tank will be selected new, without using the standard equipment of the Challenger 2. The fire control system will be combined with the associated vehicles. modern communication, providing the exchange of data on the tactical situation. Project outlook The Challenger 2 Life Extension Project (LEP) program has passed its first phase and is entering a new phase. In the coming years, the joint venture Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land and related companies will have to organize new content and kick-start work on a series of equipment modernization. According to the general plan, by 2030, the British army will completely renew its main tank force. Challenger 3 will be the main tank of the British army in the future. Due to a lack of funding, the British army could not afford to maintain a large tank fleet, and currently has only 225 main tanks. The modernization of all these equipment also becomes impossible and about a third of the tanks will have to be decommissioned due to lack of funds to restore. Besides, the increase in the capabilities of the upgraded tank is not only due to the benefit of new equipment and weapons. It is also based on the objective limitations and shortcomings of existing tanks. Accordingly, the Challenger-2 has not undergone a major upgrade and its characteristics are still at the level of the late 1990s. This fact led to the urgent need to develop a completely new combat unit. However, from a technical point of view, experts say that Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land’s Challenger 3 project seems quite successful. The proposed solutions are indeed capable of improving the technical characteristics and increasing the combat capabilities of existing tanks. In addition, all the necessary capabilities of a modern main tank are provided.

Improvements to the Challenger 2 will cost £800 million ($1 billion) for the 148 tanks currently in service, or £5.4 million ($6.6 million) per tank, including tank capacity. incorporating a new smoothbore cannon to replace the older one, a digitized turret, improved visibility and upgraded armor protection, engines, etc. According to many experts, although the German Leopard 2 has the advantage of being still in production and being invested more in research and development to continuously upgrade its design, the continued investment in The Challenger has many notable advantages over purchasing a “pre-existing” German design. The British Ministry of Defense has decided to upgrade the Challenger 2 tank to the Challenger 3 standard; Source: armytimes.com The Challenger 2 has had limited export success, and around 40 are currently operated by the Royal Oman Army. The Challenger 3 upgrade package is likely to be sold to Oman, which has long been a top customer for British weapons. The large number of British Challenger 2 tanks in storage can be refurbished and upgraded to Challenger 3 standard for export to any interested partner. The cost and burden of abandoning the Challenger and adopting a foreign tank would also be enormous, forcing the British Army to retrain not only the crew, but also the maintenance crews. It would also force the military to scrap all existing maintenance infrastructure and source spare parts from abroad, and thus end the domestic parts industry. The cost of buying a new Leopard 2 will also be significantly higher than the £5.4 million ($6.6 million) that the Challenger 3 upgrade package costs per vehicle. One of the most obvious drawbacks of switching to Leopard 2 was the loss of credibility as a major tank manufacturer, with Britain having invented and being the first country to use tanks in combat, This means that the country has lost its strong industry. It is also important to note that the Leopard 2 is much older in design than the Challenger 2, and first entered service 20 years ago – in 1979, older than the retired Challenger 1 that entered service. active in 1983. While the Leopard 2 was a faster and more maneuverable tank, the Challenger 2 was considered to have much better armor protection – although this diminished over time as German tanks were continuously upgraded. customary. The decision to upgrade Challenger 2 instead of buying Leopard 2 is justified for various reasons; Source: wikipedia.org The Challenger 2 is the most modern Western tank class and has been in service since 1998, although the problem of a lack of smoothbore guns reduces its export potential, combined with the relatively small size of the units. The British tank status means it will be discontinued much sooner than the Leopard 2. With the Leopard 2 more than 40 years old, Germany is currently investing in developing a successor, with the UK investing in the acquisition. The old German design is arguably not going to be a sensible choice. Furthermore, it is important to consider that if the UK really needs to replace the Challenger 2 with a foreign design, the Leopard 2 will not necessarily be the best choice – not only in terms of capabilities but also for political reasons. . As Britain seeks to forge ties with advanced economies outside of Europe after leaving the European Union, the better option may be South Korea’s K2 Black Panther, developed a few decades after Leopard 2. century and is generally considered to be much more powerful. The next-generation tank program in cooperation with Japan, or even buying an American M1 Abrams tank with some domestic improvements, may ultimately prove to be more affordable than buying the Leopard 2. The Challenger 2 upgrade provides a low-cost solution to modernizing armored units while avoiding the difficulties of transitioning to an entirely new vehicle type and, at the same time, preserving the weapons industry in the future. water for more potential programs in the future.