Russian media lately broadcasted footage from Kursk, the place the remnants of a British-made Challenger 2 tank, supplied to Ukraine, had been found. The tank was obliterated and partially buried in a forested space, nestled among the many bushes. A video circulated on social media reveals the destruction, doubtless brought on by a loitering munition whereas the tank was deployed on Russian territory. The beforehand held assertion that “No Challenger 2 has ever been destroyed in fight!” not holds true.
Screenshots from the Russian TV report point out the tank was hit close to the bottom of its gun, significantly within the space the place ammunition is loaded earlier than firing. This element is critical as a result of the footage reveals an unexpectedly giant fireplace following the influence, suggesting a potential strike in a susceptible a part of the tank. The doubtless rationalization for that is that the ammunition storage was hit, inflicting the intense fireball.
Whereas the primary ammunition compartment within the Challenger 2 is located on the rear of the tank and separated from the crew by protecting methods, a smaller quantity of ammunition is saved within the preventing compartment. These rounds are housed in remoted compartments outfitted with fireplace suppression methods. This design helps to distribute ammunition across the tank, minimizing the danger of a catastrophic explosion if one space is breached. Nonetheless, on this occasion, it seems that the loitering munition could have struck one in every of these compartments within the turret.
Curiously, elements of the turret appear to have survived the blast. The tank’s principal 120mm L30A1 rifled gun stays intact above the bottom, together with a number of the turret’s protecting armor. In distinction to the primary destroyed Challenger 2 tank, which was utterly engulfed in flames on the battlefield, this tank presents the Russian army the possibility to get well sure elements, just like the turret and elements of the armor, for evaluation. There’s hypothesis that some methods might also stay intact, although that continues to be unsure.
In 2023, the UK equipped Ukraine with 14 Challenger 2 tanks as a part of worldwide army help in response to Russia’s invasion. This supply was introduced earlier within the yr, and the primary tanks arrived in March 2023.
Following the supply, Ukrainian crews underwent rigorous coaching within the UK to grasp the operation of those formidable machines. By the summer season of 2023, Challenger 2 tanks had been first noticed in motion on Ukrainian battlefields, collaborating within the Ukrainian counteroffensive towards Russian positions.
The primary confirmed report of a destroyed Challenger 2 in Ukraine surfaced in September 2023. This incident drew world consideration, marking the primary recognized occasion of a Challenger 2 being destroyed in fight.
In accordance with varied reviews, the Challenger 2 tanks equipped to Ukraine in 2023 had been delivered in a modified configuration, completely different from the model utilized by the British Armed Forces. Whereas the tanks retain their core options, such because the 120mm L30A1 rifled gun and heavy armor, some superior protecting and fight methods weren’t included. Notably, these tanks lacked an lively safety system [APS], an important element within the British model that helps defend towards anti-tank missiles and shells.
Moreover, the Ukrainian variations of the Challenger 2 tanks had been doubtless equipped with out a number of the most refined battlefield administration methods, which improve coordination and communication throughout fight. A number of the newest night time imaginative and prescient and infrared methods utilized by the British army had been additionally omitted.
These omissions had been a part of a strategic transfer by the UK to restrict the danger of their most superior army expertise falling into enemy fingers ought to the tanks be captured or destroyed.
The Challenger 2 tank is extensively thought to be one of the highly effective and closely armored principal battle tanks on the planet, developed by the British firm Vickers Defence Programs [now part of BAE Systems]. It’s an imposing automobile, measuring 44.5 toes in size [with the gun forward], 11.5 toes in width, and standing round 8 toes tall.
Weighing roughly 75 tons, it’s powered by a Perkins Condor CV12 diesel engine, producing 1,200 horsepower, permitting it to achieve speeds of as much as 37 mph on roads and 25 mph off-road. Its mobility is enhanced by an automated transmission system, the David Brown TN54, offering easy maneuverability for such a large machine.
One of many standout options of the Challenger 2 is its complicated sensor and fireplace management system, referred to as TOGS II [Thermal Observation and Gunnery System], developed by Thales Group. This superior system allows the tank to fireplace with excessive accuracy, day or night time. It contains thermal cameras for concentrating on and statement, in addition to a laser rangefinder from Marconi [now BAE Systems], which calculates the gap to targets with precision. The hearth management system robotically adjusts for variables like wind, temperature and tank motion, making certain a deadly strike. The tank additionally boasts infrared and optical concentrating on methods, together with a stabilized gun that ensures accuracy even whereas transferring.
In terms of safety, the Challenger 2 employs superior Dorchester armor, primarily based on the Chobham armor idea, extensively thought to be a number of the greatest on the planet. The tank’s major weapon, the 120mm L30A1 rifled gun, can fireplace quite a lot of ammunition varieties, together with APFSDS [Armor-Piercing, Fin-Stabilized, Discarding Sabot] rounds and HESH [High-Explosive Squash Head] rounds, with an efficient vary of as much as 5 miles.
Along with its principal gun, the Challenger 2 is supplied with secondary armaments, together with 7.62mm L94A1 and L37A2 machine weapons mounted coaxially and on the turret roof. The tank additionally contains a smoke-screen system that may be activated by launching smoke grenades or injecting diesel gas into the exhaust system to create a smokescreen.
The lack of these Challenger 2 tanks, significantly the invention of the one in Kursk, not solely raises questions in regards to the survivability of those closely armored machines in fashionable warfare but additionally serves as a reminder of the dangers concerned in offering superior army expertise to overseas forces embroiled in intense conflicts.
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