Britain’s New Challenger 3 Tank Fires a German Gun, and the Reason Is Not Interoperability Alone: The Royal Ordnance Factory That Built the Challenger 2’s Rifled Gun Closed in 2001

Automatically curated summary from 19FortyFive.

Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) announced that the British Army's next-generation Challenger 3 Main Battle Tank has driven over 2,000 kilometers and fired over 200 main armament rounds during ongoing trials. Converting 148 Challenger 2 chassis under an £800 million UK Ministry of Defence contract, the upgraded tank features a new turret, a German Rheinmetall 120mm smoothbore gun, an upgraded engine, and enhanced digital systems. First deliveries are targeted for 2027, though reported gearbox delays render the exact deployment schedule uncertain.

Context and limitations

Specific onboard digital systems and exact engine output remain classified, and delivery timelines face uncertainty following program gearbox delays.