The British Army has increased the number of Challenger 2 tanks in service.
According to a document released by the British government, the country’s ground forces now have 288 tanks of this type.
For comparison, last year’s report mentioned 219 Challenger 2 vehicles.
Thus, over the past year, the British tank fleet has increased by 69 units.
At the same time, it remains unknown how many of them are in combat readiness.
In 2023, it was reported that the British Army had only 157 Challenger 2 combat vehicles capable of performing combat missions, out of a total of 227 units in service.
The transfer of some of the tanks to Ukraine, which were taken directly from military units, partially reduced the British army’s ability to respond quickly to potential threats.
In 2021, the UK government announced a large-scale program to upgrade more than a hundred Challenger 2 tanks to the Challenger 3 standard.
The updated version will receive an active defense system, improved sensors, modern optics, and a completely new turret.
The key difference between the Challenger 3 and the Challenger 2 will be the 120 mm Rheinmetall Rh-120 L55 smoothbore gun, which will significantly increase the firepower of the vehicle.
In 2024, the construction of the first Challenger 3 tanks began at the RBSL armored vehicle plant in Telford.
It is expected that 148 modernized tanks will be produced there. For this purpose, refurbished hulls from Challenger 2 and new turrets manufactured by Armstrong Works with 120 mm guns are used.
