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Main battle tank in service with the United Kingdom.
Overview
Initially born to an Iranian request for an improved version of the stalwart Chieftain line of tanks in service around the world. With the fall of the Shah of Iran, the British took over the design and further improved it. The Challenger 1 and its latest incarnation, the Challenger 2 are now the mainstays of the British Army's armored forces.
The most revolutionary part of the Challenger 1 is its Chobham armour which gave protection far superior to any rolled homogeneous armour (RHA), at the time the standard of tank armor materials. This armor has since been adopted by others, most notably the American M1 Abrams.
Undoubtably, the Challenger has returned the British to the forefront of world tank design.
Specifications
- Crew: 4
- Weight: 62 tons
- Length: 11.5m
- Height: 2.95m
- Powerplant: Rolls-Royce CV12
- Max Speed: 56km/h
- Main Gun: 120mm L11A5 with 44 rounds
- Secondary Guns: Two 7.62mm machine guns with 6,000 rounds
- Smoke Protection: Two 5-barrel dischargers
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