Challenger 1 & 2: Spearhead of the British Royal Armoured Corps

by Walter Böhm and Peter Siebert ISBN 962-361-670-8
48 pages, 141 color photos, 4 color plates, 1/35 scale line drawings

The British Royal Armoured Corps (RAC) was formed more than 60 years ago. The units of the RAC made their contribution to the end of the Cold War by fighting in the Gulf War, keeping peace in Bosnia and Kosovo, and supporting civil authority at home in Northern Ireland. The RAC, which provides the tank force to the British Army, is today composed of eight Challenger 1 and 2 regiments.

When the British Army needed a replacement for the Chieftain tank fleet, it chose the ill-fated Shir Iran 2 MBT which was developed for Iran. Modifications were made and the new improved version was named Challenger. The first Challenger 1s were delivered to the British Army in 1983. The Challenger 1 is armed with the L11A5 120mm rifled gun, weighted 62 tons, and has a crew of four. During the Gulf War, Challenger tanks destroyed 300 enemy main battle tanks and an unknown number of armored vehicles.

Further modifications to the Challenger resulted in the Challenger 2 which has up to date armor, mobility, firepower, and fire control technology. The main weapon is the easy to handle 120mm L30 Charm Gun. The first Challenger 2s were delivered to the RAC in 1998 and a total of 386 Challenger 2s will equip the British Army by the year 2002.