Challenger 2 tanks bolster Ukraine's front line resilience
The Ukrainians from the 82nd Airborne Assault Brigade fighting in the Kursk region are using one of the most well-armoured tanks in the world. Here’s how the Challenger 2 tanks, which were considered indestructible until recently, are performing on the front lines.
In the Kursk region, Ukrainians utilise Challenger 2 tanks supplied by the United Kingdom. These are powerfully armoured and accurate tanks which, despite some problems, pose a significant threat to the Russians. The Russians have destroyed two tanks out of at least 14 that Ukraine received.
The following material, produced by United24 a few months ago judging by the light snow, is likely from the end of November or early December 2024. The Ukrainian crew praises their Challenger 2 tank highly.
They claim that even at a distance of 5 kilometres (3 miles), the electronics ensure hitting the target, and the frontal turret armour even survived a hit from an anti-tank guided missile fired from an attack helicopter. Essentially, the only downside is inferior mobility compared to lighter machines.
Challenger 2 tanks - the pinnacle of British armoured thought
The Challenger 2 tank was developed as an advanced evolution of its predecessor, the Challenger 1. Its distinctive feature is the use of advanced Chobham/Dorchester second-generation armour.
Thanks to this armour technology, the tank gains significant protection against shaped charges and provides high resistance to kinetic penetrators. The result is a construction weighing over 67 tonnes, including the additional armour kit.
A defining feature of the Challenger 2 is its highly accurate L30A1 gun of 120 mm calibre with rifling 55 calibres in length. The gun uses separate loading ammunition with separate components, distinguishing it from the integrated ammunition common in NATO tanks using smoothbore guns.
British engineers chose this solution to enable the use of specific HESH rounds. Thanks to their unique mode of action, these rounds can effectively neutralise fortifications and armoured targets without needing to penetrate the armour. The HESH rounds work by flattening against the enemy's armour and then detonating.
This causes internal stresses that generate small fragments on its inner side, which can seriously injure the crew if there's no internal anti-spall lining. Nevertheless, the CHARM 3 type APFSDS penetrators made of depleted uranium remain the main type of anti-tank weapon for the Challenger 2.
The Challenger 2 is powered by a powerful diesel engine with a 1,200 horsepower rating. Although it is slightly weaker than the engines in Leopard 2 or M1A1 Abrams tanks, it provides sufficient mobility on dry or icy ground. The situation worsens during spring and autumn when Ukrainian mud has defeated numerous Challenger 2 crews.
