The British Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank - British innovation in armored vehicles tested in Iraq
British Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank
Manufacturer: BAE Systems Land and Armaments [LSE: BA.L]
Photo Crown Copyright/MOD
The British Challenger 2 Main battle tank has several innovations unique to its design. One of the foremost innovations devised by the Brits is a type of armor known as Chobham armor, which is a layered matrix of steel and ceramics. In fact, incorporating layers of ceramic into steel has been a newer technique of strengthening steel, (the strongest knife blades are now layered steel and ceramics, because the ceramics provide an added measure of flexibility. The Chobham armor is known to perform especially well against HEAT (High explosive anti-tank) rounds. In one encounter in Iraq, one Challenger 2 was hit by 8 RPGs in close range and one MILAN anti-tank missile and managed to escape to be repaired. Another improvement currently being made to the Challenger 2 is the replacement of its 120 mm rifled cannon barrel with a smooth bore cannon, which will enable the Challenger to fire depleted uranium rounds among other more lethal ammunition developed by the US and Germany.
Specifications
Weight: 62.5 tonnes
Length: 8.3 m
Width: 3.5 m (4.2 m with appliqué armour)
Height: 2.5 m
Crew: 4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver)
Drive System
- Engine: Perkins CV12 diesel engine delivering 1,200 hp (895 kW).
- Gearbox: David Brown TN54 epicyclical transmission (6 fwd, 2 rev).
- Suspension: Second-generation Hydrogas.
- Track: William Cook Defence Hydraulically Adjustable double-pin.
- Maximum speed 37 mph, 59 km/h (road) 25 mph, 40 km/h (cross country)
- Range 280 miles, 450 km (road) 156 miles, 250 km (cross country).
Check out this Challenger 2 tank video, this thing is a beast!
Click here to see other main battle tanks
(3 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)
Loading ...Tags: armored_vehicles, depleted_uranium, depleted_uranium_shells, Ground Vehicles, main_battle_tank, Military-Machines, Military-Weapons-and-Vehicles, Tanks
Loading ...
even with the 120 rifled gun the challenger two does fire DU rounds the mod to smooth bore allows it to fire standard nato 1 peice ammo and heat ammunition
[…] Armor Damage Idea to improve realism, i think that armored units should have higher total hit points, combined with more of a chance for bits to go wrong, by this i mean that it is more likely to have a track come off or turret disabled, but more of a chance of the unit being able to be fixed by an engineer, so a tank can be taken out of action by disabling it, (making the crew inside no option but to ether sit an be helpless until a field repair or they have to brave the out side) but only totally destroyed by extended light AT attack (RPG), this would mean that the engineer would become a far more important asset to a team then they are now "n one encounter in Iraq, one Challenger 2 was hit by 8 RPGs in close range and one MILAN anti-tank missile and managed to escape to be repaired." The British Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank - British innovation in armored vehicles tested in Iraq […]