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The British Army currently has 221 Challenger 2 tanks in service

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The British Army is replacing the Challenger 2 MBTs with the Challenger 3 upgrade. Credit: UK MoD/Crown copyright

The British Army’s tank numbers appear to have fallen even further from the theoretical 227 Challenger 2 main battle tanks (MBTs) in the inventory, with 213 vehicles confirmed to be in service at the end of Q1 2024.

The information was provided by UK Defense Secretary James Cartlidge on May 2, with the figure representing a drop of more than 6% in the number of Challenger 2 MBT numbers from the listed fleet of 227 vehicles.

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This was reported earlier in 2023 by Army technology that the British Army has only 157 Challenger 2 MBTs ready or available to conduct operations within a 30-day work-up period. Cartlidge’s May 2 commentary did not disclose how many of the 213 Challenger 2s currently in service were available for operations immediately or after a short work-up period.

British Army Challenger 2 MBTs firing during a field army course at the Combined Arms Maneuver School in 2024. Credit: UK MoD/Crown copyright

In 2023, the UK delivered a squadron of Challenger 2 MBTs to Ukraine to assist the country in the ongoing war against Russia, with a single vehicle later confirmed to have suffered a mobility kill during the battle.

The United Kingdom’s 2021 Integrated Review and Defense Command Paper revealed that 148 of the country’s Challenger 2 MBTs would be upgraded to a Challenger 3 variant, with active protection systems, improved sensors and optics, as well as a new turret and the Rheinmetall L55A1 120 mm smoothbore pistol.

Although former Secretary of State for Defense Ben Wallace had stated that the UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) would keep an eye on the upgrade from Challenger 2 to Challenger 3 numbers, little has been heard recently about whether there will be more than 148 would be upgraded.

Only the Sultanate of Oman became an export customer for the Challenger 2, completing deliveries of 38 MBTs in 2001.

Possible options for the remaining ~65 Challenger 2 MBTs that will not be upgraded at this time include disposal, a full or partial in-kind donation to Ukraine, or sale to Oman. Alternatively, the fleet could be kept in storage and used for parts for the British Army’s new Challenger 3 fleet, which will retain a degree of commonality in the hull.

Challenger 3: the replacement for the Challenger 2

In May 2021, Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) was awarded an £800 million ($995.9 million) contract by the UK Ministry of Defense to upgrade 148 Challenger 2 MBTs to the Challenger 3 variant for the British Army.

In terms of capabilities, the Challenger 2 upgrades, introducing a new turret, sensor suite, passive and active armor and power pack, represent the most significant tank modernization program undertaken by the UK Ministry of Defense for decades.

Britain is upgrading 148 of its Challenger 2 tanks to Challenger 3 standard. Credit: UK MoD/Crown copyright

The latest development, announced by the UK Ministry of Defense on April 18, saw the last of eight prototypes roll off the production line at the RBSL factory in Telford. With the first prototype already being tested, the UK Ministry of Defense stated that they will all be tested under operational conditions to “validate their performance and make refinements” before a further 140 are built and delivered to the British Army .

Army technology approached the British Ministry of Defense in mid-April for an update on the Challenger 3 program, but received no official response.


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