What is Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank?

March 29, 2023

The first British Challenger 2 main battle tank recently arrived in Ukraine.

About Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank:

  • It is the British Army’s main battle tank (MBT).
  • It is a third-generation MBT, the same generation as the Russian T-80 and T-90 tanks.
  • It is heavily armoured and highly mobile, designed for use in direct fire zones.
  • Whilst its primary role is to destroy or neutralise armour, Challenger 2 can operate across a spectrum of high-intensity conflict, counter-insurgency and peacekeeping roles.
  • Countries using: It is in service with the United Kingdom (386) and Oman (38).
  • Features:
    • The armour of the Challenger-2 is called the Chobham armour or the Dorchester armour and is considered among the best in the world.
    • The tank is 27 feet long and eight feet tall.
    • It has a range of 547 kilometres with a maximum speed of 59 kilometres per hour.
    • It is armed with a rifled Royal Ordnance L30 120-mm main gun, which can deliver main armament rounds up to a range of around four kilometres.
    • The secondary armament consists of two 7.62 mm machine guns.