England Tank "Challenger"

Main battle tank "Challenger" ( "challenges") relates to the third post-war generation, it is in service with the British Army, and only significantly exceeds the tank "Chieftain" in its combat characteristics, especially in terms of security and mobility. Development of the tank began research center MUEE together with the firm "Vickers" in 1972 following an agreement between the UK and Germany on the establishment of the main tank. In March 1977, due to a disagreement cooperation between the two countries was discontinued in 1979 and the United Kingdom launched a tank "Shir-2" for Iran. His designs have been implemented new technical solutions adopted in the course of the joint project. This primarily relates to the use of combined armor barriers type "chobhem" installation in a single power block four-stroke diesel engine capacity of 1200 liters. from. and hydro-mechanical transmission, as well as the use of hydro-pneumatic suspension.In certain cases, the tank commander can take control of the fire and to fire on selected targets. Of current tanks "Challenger" were equipped with thermal imaging gunner's sight. And thermal imaging area is also transmitted to the commander of the tank. In the course of further improvement of the tank on it is expected to install a laser rangefinder on carbon dioxide (CO2), which provides the laser operation in low visibility conditions. To increase the effectiveness of fire when firing on the move is a two-plane gun stabilizer, having actuators of the rotary type. Maximum speed weapon guidance in the vertical plane amounts to 6 ° per second, horizontal - 24 ° per second. The tank "Challenger" and armed with two machine guns of 7.62 mm. One paired with a gun, and the other (the zenith) is mounted on the commander's hatch. machine guns Ammunition consists of 4,000 rounds of ammunition.                                               Chassis consists of a hydropneumatic suspension and caterpillar tracks. Each board has to support six and four support rollers and tracks with metal hinge and removable rubber pads, also completed tests of the new caterpillar with rubber mount, which has a longer life. As the power plant uses a 12-cylinder V-diesel engine with turbo charging capacity of 1200 liters. from. it is executed in one block with hydromechanical transmission TH-37, providing four forward gears and three reverse gears. On the basis of the tank "Challenger" firm "Vickers" created Armoured Recovery Vehicle. It is equipped with special equipment and shoots winches. For replacement block in the field using ARV takes about 45 minutes. In order to improve the maneuverability of the tank this transmission English specialists intend to replace the more sophisticated with six forward gears and two reverse.                                                                                The tank is also planned to install a built-in automatic transmission peredach.Tank created by the standard assembly scheme, a driver is in the driving compartment along the longitudinal axis of the body and in the "in fighting" placed reclining. Tank commander and gunner are placed in the fighting compartment to the right of the gun, and charging - to the left. Engine-transmission compartment with a longitudinally mounted engine takes stern of the hull. The main armament is a 120mm rifled gun L11A5. Research Centre in England for the tank "Challenger" MK 2 has developed a new 120-mm rifled gun 130, designed for high pressure powder gases. It is interchangeable with L11A5 and can fire all ammunition previously created, as well as new armor-piercing discarding sabot projectile with an alloy body of depleted uranium.                                                                                  Ammunition gun consists of 64 rounds of separate-loading kartuznogo, but, unlike the tank "Chieftain", charges are placed in containers, which in addition to the protective jacket with fire-extinguishing liquid have a reservation. All the powder charges in the case are below the tower supports. The fire control system uses more upgraded machinery tank "Chieftain" last modification. the tank commander can to fire a cannon from the day periscope sight and Monitor thermal imaging gunner's sight. For a machine gun at air targets the commander mounted anti-aircraft sight. The main gunner periscope sight combined with a laser rangefinder. Alignment is performed using the sight collimation device. In case of failure of the main sight gunner has the ability to fire through a subsidiary. As night sight device monitor will use the thermal imager. The tank mounted electromechanical stabilizer arms and electronic ballistic computer.                                                                                      pointing actuators are made on the basis of solid-state amplifiers and high-precision gyroscopes, so characteristic of the stabilizer improved compared to its predecessor on the tank "Chieftain". armament control both the gunner and commander of the produced via joystick mounted in a fixed handle, which reduces the effect of vibrations on the body gun pointing accuracy. As a subsidiary of weapons used 7.62-mm anti-aircraft machine gun L37A2 remote-controlled from the commander, and a 7.62-mm machine gun L8A2, coupled with the gun. Ammunition guns is 4000 rounds. The armor protection of the hull and turret in the front sector (180 °) is the combined obstacles of "chobhem". The hull and turret welded. In the central portion of the upper front part of the hull armor thickness is reduced to provide the desired viewing angle driver-mechanic and reduction zone insonated space in front of the car up to seven meters. Protection of reinforced steel hull sides Quad protivokumulyativnymi screens.                                                                                                    As masking agents used protective coloring or deforming the tank and two groups of five smoke grenade caliber 66 mm or 76 mm on the sides of the tower. Smoke grenades explode in the air at a distance of 25 meters from the tank, forming a smoke stain. The change in clearance or trim tank with the help of hydro-pneumatic suspension is not provided. Caterpillar with open metal hinges have removable rubber pads.                                                                                                        tank Mileage to overhaul installed 9,600 kilometers as special equipment are the auxiliary power unit is a three-cylinder diesel engine with a capacity of 37.5 liters. from. and navigation equipment. The tank is fitted with VHF simplex radio telephone with a range of operating frequencies 30-76 MHz.                                                                                                                                                       For tank "Challenger" Mark 2 is developed VHF "Jaguar" with a frequency range 30-88 MHz. March 16, 1983 off the assembly line to go first production tank "Challenger". tanks Production continued until 1989 tankosborochnyh factories in Newcastle and Leeds. Total 420 tanks were manufactured. In 1992 chalos mass production of tanks "Challenger" MK 2 ("Challenger-2"). In 1997, it planned to put troops in 127 vehicles of this type.