Why the UK Challenger Tank is So Hot Right Now
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Published 2023-02-26
Of course it wouldn’t be a British tank without the ability to brew tea, and the Challenger II comes with not one, but two boiling vessels, or kettles. While the strategic logic for these is that it allows the crew to boil any water for consumption they find if they are unable to be resupplied with traditional logistics, we all know it’s so they don’t run the risk of not being able to have their afternoon cup of Earl Grey. The Challenger II first saw operational use at the turn of the millenia in 2000 where it was deployed for peacekeeping missions in Bosnia and Kosovo. Nothing says peace quite like a 120mm explosive tank round fired at 2200 feet per second.
Written by: Chris Cappy and Justin Taylor
Edited by: Savvy Studios
It’s first combat experience wasn’t until a few years later in 2003 during the invasion of Iraq, where 120 of the vehicles under the 7th Armoured Brigade saw action around the port city of Basra, where it destroyed a number of Iraqi T54 and 55 tanks. It was here that it earned its reputation for being an unstoppable behemoth. During urban operations, aka, the worst place for a tank to have to perform, one challenger II came under fire by RPG-7s. The first hit damaged the driver’s sights, as the commander ordered for the tank to back out of the area, it became stuck in a ditch after throwing track, meaning the tracked portion became unattached from the actual road wheels, effectively immobilizing it. While stuck, it would be hit by another fourteen RPGs, and a MILAN ATGM. The crew were able to hold their position in the tank completely uninjured, and it was later towed away for repairs, and most impressively, was back in operation just six hours later. Another Challenger II tank in the same battle would be struck by a reported 70 RPG rounds, and was still able to continue fighting, albeit the crew probably had a headache by the end of it.
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All Comments (21)
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British Challenger Tanks incoming! Get Your Own Mini GOAT Replica Today! bit.ly/2OlOkHu
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It's not a tank, it's the world's best protected mobile tea brewing facility.
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I was in the Royal Navy, and as part of my role as a forward observer for naval gunfire, I would be sent to Salisbury plain with the army on regular occasions....which initially I resented greatly! One day out in a Challenger (2), after a really really complex and tiring sequence we came to the end of the opp, miles from anywhere, so we stepped out and the next thing I knew a sergeant put a cup in my hand and a little foil oval "Tea and a potato, sir"....and my thoughts were simultaneously "tea?", "potato?" and "WTF?". Turned to see the squaddies tucking into a jacket potato and supping on tea.....I did the same, basic as it sounds. it was probably the nicest lunch I've ever had, the tea and the potato were perfect. (I was less of a "Rupert" after that, and started giving my army colleagues the respect they deserved.) You can learn a lot in the military, even if it is to enjoy the small things in life, and to be less of an a...hole.
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227 ist actually the number of active tanks currently. We have 384 in total. 75 are stored for longterm storage as a replacement reserve. 51 are stored in Sennelager to work as a reserve for all the challenger 2 at the Eastern Nato flank. These 51 are being held serviceable so they could immediately replace any destroyed or damaged challenger 2 (for example in Estonia where the Welsh cavalry regiment is with their challenger 2) That leaves 31 challenger 2 with no real purpose. That's why we can afford to send 14 without affecting our active forces like our prime already stated. Ofc it would be great to have 1000 challenger 2 (or even 3) so ofc active personnel sometimes say things like these, but from active serving people I know that the situation of our challies ain't bad or anywhere near the situation of Germany and its leopard disaster. Also there haven't been 447 built in total. It is 424. 38 Challenger 2E for Oman and 386 for the UK.
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As a German I would have liked to see our Military giving like 80% of our Leopard 2 Tanks (and other heavy equipment like IFVs) to Ukraine. This would have exposed our forces for a couple of years until we would have been able to get new ones. But if we're honest, all European countries have their armies because of one country and thats russia. 200 Leopard Tanks destroying Russian Hardware in Ukraine do more for my countries security than 1000 Leopards standing around in a Depot at home. I find it kinda sad that not more countries see the logic in that. Its not like UK is having tanks because Spain is going to come wage a tank battle with them - nobody is exposed if we supply this stuff to a country that keeps the russian army on the brink of collapse.
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I've had a lot of experience gunning in the Challenger 2 and can honestly say that the squash head round is very effective against enemy spawn points
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Interesting fact, the 2 in challenger 2 is actually the number of boiling vessels on board. The challenger 3 is gonna have a 3rd one. Fuelled by that much tea, the crew are going to be unstoppable.
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Indeed its hot. It's burning way better than Leopard 2.
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Challenger 2s don’t miss. A British tank commander told me so. He was in Iraq. The problem, he said, was avoiding the enemy tanks turrets flying through the air.
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you could also have mentioned the longest recorded tank on tank kill with direct fire was Challenger 1 at 4700 meters during the gulf war
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It’s so hot it burned
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Frankly, I'm surprised there wasn't a joke about Jarvis the T-Rex being a small arms dealer.... I'll see myself out.
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and it just exploded and burned
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The problem with thinking that sending tanks will deplete the fleet is that the main threat, by far, is Russia. Every tank sent to Ukraine will significantly lower the risk of the reserves having to be used in the coming decade. They are more useful destroying Russian vehicles in Ukraine than they are sitting at home, requiring maintenance.
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As an American,I love visiting the UK and respect for starting the tank trend 🇬🇧🤝🇺🇸
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That didn't age well.
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Well, Challenger is indeed hot right now, almost melting!
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Perhaps the main reason that the Challenger is such a good tank is that the spec.'s for it was written up by a tanker. He ended up by leading the Challengers in the Gulf War.
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I think a large reason the U.K isn't worried about sending our tanks is attacking us is not an easy prospect. We are small island surrounded by water and sky, actually landing a force here would be difficult. Keeping any reasonable resupply for those forces while fighting off the R.A.F and RN will be fun when you account for the weather and the fact you probably landed in Scotland surrounded on all sides by water, its -3, raining and the local population of heroin addicts have been deployed as shock troops to contest your landing.
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6 months later ... it doesn't look like very many Challenger 2's will ever roll on Crimean soil!
