UK Unveils Challenger 3 Prototype: the deadliest tank in the British army

Challenger 3 is considered one of the most powerful battle tanks in Europe. This is the second of eight prototypes they plan to create and test by Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) before starting a full-scale modernization.

The British had high hopes for the Challenger 3 tank, which was meant to bring a new quality to the British armoured forces. As we've already informed, Rory Breen, the director of strategy and future business operations at Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL), a joint venture company responsible for developing these machines, at the end of January this year, was convinced that the Challenger 3 programme will deliver "the best tank in NATO."

The prototypes are in the testing stage, of which eight will be made. The first of them was produced in January 2024, and the second was showcased during the most recent visit of Secretary of Defence Grant Shapps to the Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) facility in Telford, which took place on 18 April this year.

As the aviation service Altair reports, the prototypes will assist in verifying the Challenger 3's performance in different conditions and implementing the required improvements. The next 140 tanks, upgraded to the Challenger 3 version, will already have the final configuration.

The Challenger 3 tank represents a substantial upgrade of the currently used Challenger 2. The machine has retained the chassis of the Challenger 2, but it has been redesigned and armoured. It also gained a new propulsion system and fully digital fire control and communication systems.

The tank can reach a speed of up to nearly 60 mph (approximately 96 km/h) and is armed with a 120 mm smoothbore gun with greater hitting power and firing rate than the Challenger 2. According to Defence Industry Europe, the tank has received new modular armour and an active protection system that detects and responds to approaching missiles and rockets.

According to the plans, the Challenger 3 will achieve initial operational capability by 2027 and be fully operational by 2030. Thanks to the upgrades, 148 improved machines will remain in service until 2040.