The new Challenger 3 main battle tank has reached an important milestone. For the first time, successful firing tests were carried out with live ammunition and a full crew on board. The tests mark a decisive step on the way to the modernized main battle tank entering service with the British Army.
The tests took place on a British military training area and were carried out by Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land conducted by Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land. These were the first firing trials with a newly developed main battle tank in the UK for more than three decades. The test program was deliberately designed in stages: Remote-controlled firing took place first, before manned firing tests were carried out in the next stage.
The Challenger 3 is equipped with Rheinmetall’s 120 mm L55A1 smoothbore cannon and can fire both modern kinetic energy projectiles and programmable multipurpose ammunition. The successful trials confirm not only the performance of the new weapon system, but also the safety and operational readiness of the overall system.
Following this milestone, further trials are scheduled before the main battle tank is transferred to operational service as a central element of the British Army’s modernization programme. A total of 148 modernized vehicles are to be delivered. The program has an order volume of over 800 million pounds and will strengthen the British defence and industrial base in the long term.
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