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According to a post by Gabriele Molinelli on his X account, the British Army's newest main battle tank, the Challenger 3, has completed its first qualification rounds in Germany. This important milestone was witnessed by James Cartledge, UK Secretary of State for Defense Procurement, who emphasized the importance of the advanced military asset.
Details
The Challenger 3 main battle tank, developed by Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL), is to replace the aging Challenger 2 tanks. The transition is under an £800m contract due in 2021, which includes the supply of 148 state-of-the-art tanks equipped with modern technological improvements . These upgrades include a fully digitized system, improved armor protection and a new 120mm smoothbore gun designed to increase the tank's combat effectiveness.
One of the outstanding features of the Challenger 3 is its main armament, the German-developed L120A55 1 mm gun. It is similar to the American M256, but has a longer barrel. This design choice improves the tank's ability to penetrate heavy armor from long distances, although it also increases the overall length of the tank, creating problems in dense terrain such as forests.
The change from a rifled barrel to a smoothbore gun aligns the British tank with standard NATO armament, removing the previous restriction where British tanks could not exchange ammunition with their allies. This compatibility with standard NATO munitions is expected to provide strategic flexibility and logistical advantages during combined operations.
The L120A55 1mm High Pressure Gun, based on the L55, is the most advanced smoothbore gun in the world, offering unmatched pressure levels that improve the performance of high-performance ammunition. Since its qualification and deployment in 2019, it has significantly increased the firepower and lethality of main battle tanks. Compatible with existing systems on Leopard 2 and other MBTs, the L55A1 can be easily integrated as an upgrade.
The L55A1 gun is distinguished by its use of Rheinmetall KE (Kinetic Energy) ammunition, which includes a high-strength tungsten penetrator, which provides excellent performance against modern main battle tanks equipped with dynamic armor, as well as tanks with multilayer and composite arrays. This state-of-the-art penetrator is designed to withstand the extreme cutting and bending forces caused by dual reactive armor. In addition, its integrated incendiary unit proved to be more effective against armor, offering significant effectiveness against both light and medium armored vehicles.
In addition, the L55A1 is capable of firing the DM73 APFSDS (Armor Penetrating End Stabilized Throwing Sabot), a next-generation KE round that has an improved propulsion system. The increased pressure capabilities of the L55A1 gun allow for increased muzzle velocity compared to the DM63A1 in the L55 configuration, extending the range of modern MBT threats.
The L55A1 also supports a variety of other munition types, including the HE-FRAG-T DM11 (high-explosive high-explosive), which is primarily used against enemy armor, and the HE-FRAG-T RH31, which uses the DM11 warhead to achieve similar detonation effects at the target point.
In addition, the secondary armament of the Challenger 3 tank consists of a paired 7,62 mm L8A2 machine gun mounted to the left of the main armament. The L7,62A37 2mm machine gun can also be mounted on the commander's turret, providing versatile defensive capabilities.
The integration of the 120mm Rheinmetall L55A1 gun into the Challenger 3 tanks significantly increases their combat effectiveness, allowing them to engage and penetrate the latest generation tanks and armored fighting vehicles at long distances.
