Across the Atlantic, the British Army’s Challenger 3 battle tank is a bully setting new standards for tank warfare. This weapon of the week is the latest evolution of British tanks with significant firepower upgrades.
Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land built the tank in Telford, England. The British Army already commissioned eight prototypes and ordered a new fleet of 147 tanks total.
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The tank weighs 66 tons and can carry a crew of four. Challenger 3 also comes equipped with a new turret, improved hull and upgraded armor.
The main new feature is the new Smoothbore high-pressure gun. Paired with the correct ammunition, it can now engage with enemy troops located over 5,000 meters, more than three miles, away.
“In terms of the lethality, we’re pairing the latest 120 millimeter smoothbore gun, high pressure gun, and we’re pairing that with the most lethal ammunition available, so this will be one of the most lethal tanks in here,” Col. William Waugh, the program director for the Armour Programme, said. “All of this is capped off with a new set of sets of sighting systems that allows us to direct that authority with with much greater precision 24 hours a day, and overall whole capability is total step change to what we currently have.”
The Challenger 3 can fire the newest armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding Sabot rounds, high-explosive anti-tank rounds and programmable airburst munitions. The versatility with ammunition allows crews to engage with a wide variety of targets.
The tank does run on the pricey end of battlefield equipment; it costs $5 million to produce each one.
Access the full Weapons and Warfare episode here.
Access all Weapons and Warfare podcast episodes here.
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
FOR OUR WEAPON OF THE WEEK WE ARE HEADING ACROSS THE ATLANTIC TO CHECK OUT THE BRITISH ARMY’S CHALLENGER 3 BATTLE TANK. A BULLY THAT’S SETTING SOME NEW STANDARDS FOR TANK WARFARE.
LIKE IT’S NAME IMPLIES THE CHALLENGER 3 IS THE NEXT EVOLUTION OF THE CHALLENGER 2 MAIN BATTLE TANKS THE BRITS HAVE BEEN USING SINCE 1998. WITH THAT EVOLUTION COMES SOME SIGNIFICANT UPGRADES. NOTABLY IN FIREPOWER. MORE ON THAT IN A MOMENT, BUT FIRST HERE ARE SOME PERTINENT DETAILS.
WEIGHING 66 TONS, AND BUILT FOR A CREW OF FOUR, THE CHALLENGER 3 IS MADE BY RHEINMETALL BAE SYSTEMS LAND, YES THAT IS A MOUTHFUL, IN TELFORD ENGLAND. THE BRITISH ARMY IS DUE TO RECEIVE EIGHT PROTOTYPES, AND EVENTUALLY FIELD A FLEET OF 147 TANKS. THE CHALLENGER 3 COMES EQUIPPED WITH AN ALL NEW TURRET, AN IMPROVED HULL. AND IMPROVED ARMOR.
OF COURSE THE MAIN FEATURE IS THE 120 MM L-55-A-1 SMOOTHBORE HIGH PRESSURE GUN. VERY IMPRESSIVE SOUNDING, BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
WELL, WHEN PAIRED WITH THE LATEST 120MM DM-73 AMMUNITION IT NOW CHECKS IN WITH AN ENGAGEMENT RANGE OF UP TO 5,000 METERS.
FOR THOSE OF US NOT YET ON THE METRIC SYSTEM, THAT’S A LITTLE MORE THAN THREE MILES! A STAT THAT’S NOT LOST ON THE TROOPS THAT WILL BE TRAINED TO TAKE IT INTO COMBAT IF THE NEED ARISES.
[COLONEL WILLIAM WAUGH]
In terms of the lethality, we’re pairing the latest 120 millimeter smoothbore gun, high pressure gun, and we’re pairing that with the most lethal ammunition available, so this will be one of the most lethal tanks in here.
All of this is capped off with a new set of sets of sighting systems that allows us to direct that authority with with much greater precision 24 hours a day, and overall whole capability is total step change to what we currently have We challenge you to.
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
SO WHAT CAN PEOPLE ON THE BUSINESS END OF THIS BEAST EXPECT? THE CHALLENGER 3 CAN FIRE THE LATEST ARMOR-PIERCING FIN-STABILIZED DISCARDING SABOT ROUNDS, HIGH-EXPLOSIVE ANTI-TANK ROUNDS, AND PROGRAMMABLE AIRBURST MUNITIONS. THAT VERSATILITY ALLOWS CREWS TO ENGAGE A WIDE VARIETY OF TARGETS.
AND IF YOU’RE THINKING YOU WANT ONE FOR WEEKEND OUTINGS WITH THE BOYS, BETTER START SAVING NOW. WELL EQUIPPED IT’S GOING TO COST YOU A COOL $5 MILLION PER.
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