4
refurbishing
A BEAST
hallenger 2 is a British advanced main battle tank (MBT) built by BAE Systems. It is used by the armies of the United Kingdom and Oman and has been in service for nearly two decades. Its most notable service was during the Iraq War
in the 2000s.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has awarded contracts for the Challenger 2 Life Extension Project to BAE Systems and Rheinmetall Landsysteme. The goal of the project is to modernise the battle tank and extend its operational life until 2035. According to the MOD, recent developments in electronics, computing and sight optics mean upgrades to several of the tank's components are now possible.
The total value of the assessment phase is estimated at £53 million - an investment that will allow BAE Systems and Rheinmetall to study technical specifications, produce digital models and consider how upgrades will be integrated onto the current platform.
In Service:
1998 - present
Unit cost:
£4.2 million
No. built:
446
Top speed:
59 km/h on road
40 km/h off road
C
Challenger 2 LEP Information Courtesy the MOD (www.gov.uk)