British army tanks how many

The tank contract is part of a defence review which will see the Army's size reduced to 72, soldiers by as part of an increased focus on drones and cyber warfare. The Ministry of Defence MoD said the Challenger 3 would be able to travel up to 60mph 97kph with an increased range and be the UK's first fully-digitised tank. The digital elements mean the tank will be able to share data and information on the battlefield with attack helicopters and other ground vehicles.

It added it would also mean new supply chain jobs spread across the West Midlands, Glasgow, Newcastle upon Tyne and the Isle of Wight.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the new jobs would ensure soldiers "benefit from the very best of British engineering". He added the new technology "allows us to deliver immense warfighting capabilities in battlespaces filled with a range of enemy threats". In the words of Ben Wallace, this announcement shows "there is a future for tanks". There will though be fewer of them. The British Army has ageing Challenger 2 tanks. Only of them will be modernised and they won't be entirely new.

The Challenger 3 tank will use the existing chassis, but it will have a new digital turret and smoothbore gun. It will also have a more powerful engine. Will there be risks in bolting on new systems to the old? A similar plan to upgrade the Army's Warrior Armoured Vehicle didn't work out.

That programme's now been scrapped. Ben Wallace insists it won't happen again. He says the Challenger 3 tank will deliver the most lethal tank in Europe. It's due to come into service by the end of the decade. In reality, designing an entirely new tank from scratch would have cost too much and taken too long.

The integration of Challenger 3 is key to ensure our success and integration in the land domain, ensuring that we meet our international commitments and continue to protect the nation. The Challenger 3 tank is being developed to replace the current Challenger 2 tank which has been in service since Full Operating Capability for the tank is planned for , with initial operating capability expected by This is a significant step forward for Defence and UK industry as we continue to develop and modernise our fleet of land vehicles and I am looking forward to working closely with our industry partners to deliver the very best capabilities we can for the British Army.

As outlined in the recent Defence Command Paper, the British Army will be more deployable and better protected in the face of our adversaries. Check what you need to do. To help us improve GOV. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. Cookies on GOV. UK We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies. Hide this message. Home Defence and armed forces. Press release British Army to possess most lethal tank in Europe. Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace said: This represents a huge shift in the modernisation of our land forces through the increased lethality of Challenger 3. Share this page Share on Facebook Share on Twitter.

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