UK Army's Challenger 3 to integrate trophy active protection system

Rheinmetall has unveiled the new Challenger 3 main battle tank at a British Army event, highlighting its advanced features, including upgraded armor and a 120mm smoothbore cannon. 

The UK is receiving this upgraded tank while allies like France and Germany are still evaluating how to adapt their heavy armour to new battlefield threats, particularly drones, which have proven to be significant tank destroyers in the conflict in Ukraine. The Challenger 3, along with Ajax fighting vehicles and Boxer infantry vehicles, is intended to be the foundation of the Army’s Future Soldier concept, aimed at modernizing British forces beyond 2030, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

“The Challenger 3 will bring unmatched lethality to future battlefields,” stated the UK Ministry of Defence in a video shared on X, formerly Twitter. “Alongside Ajax and Boxer, Challenger 3 will form the British Army’s future fleet of armoured vehicles.” Rheinmetall is upgrading the tank through a joint venture with BAE Systems, having acquired 55 per cent of BAE's combat vehicle business in 2019. The Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) joint venture signed an £800 million ($1 billion) contract with the UK Ministry of Defence in May 2021 to enhance 148 Challenger 2 tanks.

 According to Rheinmetall, two Challenger 3 prototypes have already been produced at the RBSL site in Telford, England, with six more expected to be delivered in the coming months. Testing is currently underway to assess the prototypes' performance and make necessary adjustments before the remaining 140 tanks are manufactured and supplied to the British Army. The tank was displayed at the British Army’s Defence Vehicle Dynamics event at UTAC Millbrook, a testing ground for military vehicles that includes off-road tracks.

In April of last year, the Rheinmetall-BAE joint venture conducted firing tests of the smoothbore gun, which replaces the previous rifled cannon, making Britain the last NATO member to utilize rifled tank ammunition. Rheinmetall’s 120mm smoothbore guns are also used on tanks like the Leopard 2 and the US Abrams. RBSL and the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory have created a modular armor system for the Challenger 3, which the company claims represents “a step change in survivability” for the tank, with successful trials conducted so far and additional tests planned for 2025. “The RBSL team is making great strides, with Challenger 3 completing successful non-destructive testing, and further capability trials are to come,” said the joint venture’s Managing Director Will Gibby. He emphasized that the new battle tank is “the most advanced and capable” in NATO. 

The upgraded 66-ton tank, designed for a crew of four, features 24-hour all-weather sights, improved engine performance, hydro-gas suspension, enhanced communications, and increased electrical power to accommodate additional high-demand equipment in the future. The Challenger 3 will also feature the Trophy active protection system from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, which is designed to defend against rockets and missiles, following successful testing of the system by the UK in late 2022. Meanwhile, France and Germany are collaborating on a future battle tank system known as the Main Ground Combat System, expected to be ready only in the 2040s. At the Eurosatory defence show in June, military vehicle manufacturers Rheinmetall and KNDS showcased competing tank concepts that could fill this gap. 

By Naila Huseynova