Challenger 2

FV4034 Challenger 2
FV4034 Challenger 2
	A Challenger 2 tank patrolling outside Basra, Iraq, during Operation Telic, 2004
Type	Main battle tank
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Service history
In service	1998–present
Used by	British Army; Royal Army of Oman; Ukrainian Ground Forces;
Wars	UNMIBH; Kosovo War; Iraq War; Russo-Ukrainian War;
Production history
Designer	Vickers Defence Systems
Designed	1986–1993
Manufacturer	Alvis plc; Vickers plc; BAE Systems Land & Armaments;
Unit cost	£4,217,000 (FY 1999)
Produced	1990 (prototypes); 1993–2002 (main production);
No. built	about 447
Specifications
Mass	64 t (63 long tons; 71 short tons),; 75 t (74 long tons; 83 short tons) with combat armour modules;
Length	8.3 m (27 ft 3 in),; 13.5 m (44 ft 3 in) gun forward;
Width	3.5 m (11 ft 6 in),; 4.2 m (13 ft 9 in) with appliqué armour;
Height	2.49 m (8 ft 2 in)
Crew	4 (commander, gunner, loader–operator, driver)
Armour	Chobham / Dorchester Level 2 (classified)
Main; armament	L30A1 120 mm rifled gun with 47 rounds
Secondary; armament	7.62 mm coaxial L94A1 chain gun; 7.62 mm L37A2 loader–operator hatch machine gun;
Engine	Perkins CV12-6A V12 diesel; 26.1 L (1,590 cu in); 1,200–1,500 bhp (890–1,120 kW)
Power/weight	18.7 hp/t (13.9 kW/t) at 64 t;; 16 hp/t (11.9 kW/t) at 75 t;
Transmission	David Brown TN54E epicyclic transmission (6 fwd., 2 rev.)
Suspension	Hydropneumatic
Ground clearance	0.5 m (1 ft 8 in)
Fuel capacity	1,592 litres (350 imp gal; 421 US gal)
Operational; range	550 km (340 mi) on-road,; 250 km (160 mi) off-road on internal fuel;
Maximum speed	37 mph (59 km/h) on-road,; 25 mph (40 km/h) off-road;

The FV4034 Challenger 2 (MoD designation "CR2") is a third generation British main battle tank (MBT) in service with the armies of the United Kingdom, Oman, and Ukraine.

It was designed by Vickers Defence Systems (now Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL)) as a private venture in 1986, and was an extensive redesign of the company's earlier Challenger 1 tank. The Ministry of Defence ordered a prototype in December 1988. The Challenger 2 has four crew members consisting of a commander, gunner, loader, and driver. The main armament is a L30A1 120-millimetre (4.7 in) rifled tank gun, an improved derivative of the L11 gun used on the Chieftain and Challenger 1. Fifty rounds of ammunition are carried for the main armament, alongside 4,200 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition for the tank's secondary weapons: a L94A1 EX-34 chain gun mounted coaxially, and a L37A2 (GPMG) machine gun. The turret and hull are protected with second generation Chobham armour, also known as Dorchester. Powered by a Perkins CV12-6A V12 diesel engine, the tank has a range of 550 kilometres (340 mi) and maximum road speed of 59 kilometres per hour (37 mph).

The Challenger 2 eventually completely replaced the Challenger 1 in British service. In June 1991, the UK ordered 140 vehicles, followed by a further 268 in 1994; these were delivered between 1994 and 2002. The tank entered operational service with the British Army in 1998 and has since been used in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Iraq. To date, at least five Challenger 2 tanks are confirmed to have been destroyed in operations; the first was by accidental friendly fire from another Challenger 2 in Basra in 2003, and the four others were during the Russo-Ukrainian War, where the tanks were destroyed under Ukrainian control during the 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive and Ukrainian incursion into Kursk.

Challenger 2 tanks were also ordered by Oman in the 1990s with delivery of 38 vehicles being completed in 2001. A number of British Challenger 2 tanks were delivered to Ukraine in 2023.

Since the Challenger 2 entered service in 1998, various upgrades have sought to improve its protection, mobility and lethality. This has culminated in an upgraded design, known as Challenger 3, which is set to gradually replace Challenger 2 from 2027.