Challenger 1
FV 4030 Challenger | |
---|---|
![]() Challenger 1 at Tankfest 2009 at The Tank Museum | |
Type | Main battle tank |
Place of origin | United Kingdom |
Service history | |
In service |
|
Used by | |
Wars | Gulf War |
Production history | |
Manufacturer | Royal Ordnance Factory |
Unit cost | £1.5 million (1987)[1] |
No. built | 420 |
Specifications | |
Mass | 62 t (61 long tons; 68 short tons) 70 t (69 long tons; 77 short tons) with additional armour modules |
Length | 11.5 m (37 ft 9 in) (gun forward) |
Width | 3.51 m (11 ft 6 in) |
Height | 2.95 m (9 ft 8 in) |
Crew | 4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver) |
Armour | Chobham ceramic composite armour |
Main armament | Royal Ordnance L11A5 120 mm rifled gun 64 rounds |
Secondary armament | 7.62 mm L8A2, 7.62 mm L37A2 machine guns 4,000 rounds |
Engine | Perkins CV12 26 litre diesel 1,200 hp (895 kW) |
Power/weight | 14.4 kW/tonne |
Transmission | David Brown TN37 transmission (4 fwd, 3 rev.) |
Suspension | Hydropneumatic (hydrogas) |
Operational range | 280 mi (450 km) on road |
Maximum speed | 35 mph (56 km/h) |
The FV4030/4 Challenger 1 is a British main battle tank (MBT) used by the British Army from 1983 to 2001, when it was superseded by the Challenger 2. The majority of the Challenger 1 fleet was subsequently sold to Jordan where it remained in service with the Royal Jordanian Army until withdrawals were announced in 2018.[2] Known locally as Al-Hussein, these vehicles received various Jordanian modifications before being replaced by French-made Leclerc tanks from the UAE and ex-Italian B1 Centauro 8x8 wheeled tank destroyers. The Jordanian Challenger 1 fleet had been retired by January 2023.[3][4]
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History

The Challenger design by the former Military Vehicles and Engineering Establishment (MVEE) near Chobham in Surrey originated in an Iranian order for an improved version of the Chieftain line of tanks in service around the world. These were the Chieftain Mk5(P)- FV4030/1, FV4030/2 Shir (Lion) 1 and 4030/3 Shir 2. With the fall of the Shah of Iran and the collapse of the UK MBT-80 project, the British Army became the customer and the tank was further developed by MVEE to meet Western European requirements. For a short time the tank was named "Cheviot" (the name of a hill range) before becoming "Challenger", a name reused from the Cruiser Mk VIII Challenger tank of World War II.
The most advanced aspect of the Challenger 1 design was its Chobham armour, which gave protection far superior to any monolithic Rolled Homogeneous Armour (RHA), then standard of western tank armour material. This armour was later adopted by other designs, including the American M1 Abrams. Additionally, the hydropneumatic suspension provided outstanding cross-country performance through the long suspension arm travel and controlled bump and rebound behaviour offered.
The Challenger was built by the Royal Ordnance Factories (ROF). Challenger 1 entered service with the British Army in 1983 and production ceased in 1990 at a cost of around £2 million each.[5] In 1986, ROF Leeds (and the Challenger production line) was acquired by Vickers Defence Systems (later Alvis Vickers).
The Ministry of Defence was keen to show off the capabilities of the Challenger 1 in the Canadian Army Trophy Competition (CAT '87), held at Grafenwöhr, West Germany, in June 1987. The best performing team in preparatory competitions had been the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, although its Challengers had not been fitted with Thermal Observation and Gunnery Sight (TOGS), which would put them at a disadvantage. The Royal Hussars had a squadron fitted with TOGS; however, they had been training at BATUS in Canada with Chieftains, instead of training with Challenger and TOGS for CAT '87. Twenty-two new Challengers with TOGS were specially diverted from the production line for the competition, resulting in teething problems.[6] At the competition itself, the Hussars managed some creditable scores[7] but overall, their three "platoons" were placed last in the league table.[8] In a statement to the House of Commons on 14 July, Ian Stewart, the Minister of State for the Armed Forces, said; "I do not believe that the performance of tanks in the artificial circumstances of a competition, such as the recent Canadian Army Trophy, is a proper indication of their capability in war."[9] Following poor results in 1985 with Chieftain, and in 1987 with Challenger, the British Army decided in December 1987 to withdraw indefinitely from the competition.[10]
A requirement for a new MBT was later issued. Proposals put forward for the new specification included an improved Challenger from Vickers, the American M1 Abrams, the French Leclerc, and the German Leopard 2. The Vickers Defence Systems design, designated Challenger 2, was eventually selected. This tank is significantly more capable than its predecessor: based on the same basic MVEE-designed hull, it features a new turret based on the Vickers Private Venture Mk7 design and improved Chobham armour.
Withdrawals of British Army Challenger 1 began in 1998 and it had been completely replaced by Challenger 2 by 2001.[5] The bulk of these vehicles were exported to Jordan (see below) with around 20 vehicles retained for testing, development, and museum display.
There was also a Challenger Marksman SPAAG version, equipped with the Marksman turret.
Use by Jordan
In the 1980s, Jordan had been interested in purchasing the original Shir 1 design, and subsequently ordered 274 Khalid tanks. The success of Kahlid maintained the Jordanian interest in British made tanks.
The replacement of Challenger 1 tanks in British service by the Challenger 2 coincided with the accession of Abdullah II as King of Jordan. The new king had strong links with Britain, having begun his military career, while a prince, as an officer cadet at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, serving for a year as a troop commander in the 13th/18th Royal Hussars, a British armoured cavalry regiment, before returning to Jordan. As a member of the Royal Jordanian Army where he became a tank company commander.[11] Abdullah had thought he would spend his life in the military, but to his surprise, on 24 January 1999, weeks before his father's death, he replaced his uncle Hassan as heir apparent.[12]
In March 1999, after Abdullah II had ascended to the throne, the British Government, in a show of support of Abdullah's foreign policy, and in response to a request from the new king, announced an agreement to supply Jordan with up to 288 Challenger 1 tanks as they came out of British service. These tanks had an average in-service book value of £750,000 per unit, that would reduce to zero upon withdrawal. The tanks were therefore supplied to Jordan at no cost, with the Jordanian Government agreeing to cover any transfer costs arising.[13] The deal also included 112 support vehicles.[14] This first tranche of vehicles were supplied to Jordan over a three-year period from 1999 to 2002 and enabled the replacement of the Jordanian Centurion fleet (known locally as Tariq).[5] In late 2002 after a further 114 Challenger 1 MBTs and 19 training tanks were 'gifted' to Jordan. These vehicles had an in-service book value of £385,000 per unit but were also supplied to Jordan for the cost of the logistics of transfer.[15]
The 402 Jordanian Challenger 1 tanks received substantial local modifications and were known in Jordanian service as Al-Hussein. Plans to upgrade Jordanian Challengers with a locally designed unmanned turret called Falcon were unveiled in 2003 and prototypes were produced. However, the design never reached full production and by 2016 had been shelved.[16] The Jordanian Challenger 1 fleet was retired by January 2023.[2] being replaced by French-made Leclerc tanks from the UAE and ex-Italian B1 Centauro 8x8 wheeled tank destroyers.[17]
The withdrawn Jordanian vehicles are now in storage. In light of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, there is speculation that these vehicles could be acquired from Jordan and refurbished for Ukrainian use.[3][18]
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Operational service

221 Challenger tanks[19] were deployed to Saudi Arabia for Operation Granby, the UK operation in the 1991 Gulf War. In the original deployment, the 7th Armoured Brigade included two armoured regiments, the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars and the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, both equipped with 57 of the latest Mark 3 version of the Challenger 1. They were modified for desert operations by a REME team and civilian contractors at the quayside in Al Jubayl, Saudi Arabia. This fit included additional Chobham Armour along the hull sides and explosive reactive armour (ERA) on the nose and front glacis plate. Modifications also included the provision of extra external fuel drums and a smoke generator.
There were major concerns about the reliability of the vehicle.[20] In addition there were serious worries about how a tank designed to perform in temperate climates would stand the rigours of desert warfare.[20] Before the commencement of the Gulf War deployment only 22% of Challenger 1s were operational because of faults and lack of spares.[21]
On 22 November 1990, it was decided to add the 4th Armoured Brigade to the force, under the umbrella of 1st (UK) Armoured Division. The new brigade had a single Challenger regiment, 14th/20th King's Hussars, equipped with 43 Challenger 1 tanks and reinforced by a squadron of the Life Guards. They were equipped with the Mark 2 version of the tank, which was upgraded by armouring the storage bins for the 120 mm charges as well as the additional armour fitted to the Mark 3's.
During Operation Desert Shield it was decided that the 1st (UK) Armoured Division would be placed under the command of the US VII Corps. This corps would form the armoured fist of the Coalition forces, tasked with destroying the bulk of the Iraqi forces. The forces of VII corps crossed the Saudi border into Iraq, and then crossed into Kuwait. The 1st (UK) Armoured Division was the easternmost unit in VII Corp's sector, its Challenger tanks forming the spearhead of the advance. The division advanced nearly 350 km within 97 hours, destroying the Iraqi 46th Mechanised Brigade, 52nd Armoured Brigade and elements of at least three infantry divisions belonging to the Iraqi 7th corps in a series of battles and engagements. They captured or destroyed about 300[22] Iraqi tanks and a very large number of armoured personnel carriers, trucks, reconnaissance vehicles, etc.[23]
The main threat to the Challenger was deemed to be the Iraqi Republican Guard's T-72M tanks; each British tank was provided with twelve L26A1 "Jericho" depleted uranium (DU) shells specifically for use against T-72Ms, but during the course of the Coalition's ground campaign none were encountered as the division was withdrawn beforehand.[24]
In action, the Global Positioning System (GPS) and Thermal Observation and Gunnery System (TOGS) fitted to the Challengers proved to be decisive, allowing attacks to be made at night, in poor visibility and through smoke screens.[25] In total, British Challengers destroyed roughly 300 Iraqi tanks without suffering a single loss in combat.[22] Patrick Cordingley, the commander of 7th Armoured Brigade, said afterwards that "Challenger is a tank built for combat and not competitions."[26]. On 26 February 1991, a Challenger achieved the longest-range confirmed kill of the war, destroying an Iraqi tank with an armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding-sabot (L26A1 APFSDS) round fired over a distance of 4100 m[27] by callsign 11B, the CO of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards tank.
Challengers were also used by the British Army in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Operation Joint Guardian, the NATO-led drive into Kosovo.
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Challenger Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicle (CRARRV)

In 1985, the UK MoD ordered a derivative armoured recovery vehicle from Vickers Defence to replace those based on the FV4204 Chieftain ARV/ARRV. The Challenger Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicle (CRARRV) is an armoured recovery vehicle based on the Challenger 1 hull, is designed to repair and recover damaged tanks on the battlefield. Eighty vehicles were delivered to the British between 1988 and 1993. Four vehicles were ordered by and delivered to Oman in conjunction with their purchase of Challenger 2 tanks.[28]
The CRARRV has five seats but usually carries a crew of three soldiers from the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME), of the recovery mechanic and vehicle mechanic/technician trades. There is room in the cabin for two further passengers (e.g. crew members of the casualty vehicle) on a temporary basis.
The size and performance are similar to the MBT, but instead of armament it is fitted with:
- A main winch with 50 tonnes-force pull in a 1:1 configuration or 98 tonnes-force pull using an included pulley in a 2:1 configuration and anchor point on the vehicle, plus a small auxiliary winch to aid in deploying the main winch rope.
- Atlas crane capable of lifting 6,500 kg (14,300 lb) at a distance of 4.9 m (16 ft) (this is sufficient to lift a Challenger 2 power pack).
- In order to improve flexibility and supplement the transportation of power packs around the battlefield, the British Army procured a quantity of dedicated CRARRV High Mobility Trailers (CRARRV HMT). Each CRARRV HMT enables a CRARRV to transport a single (Challenger, Titan or Trojan) power pack or two Warrior power packs, by altering the configuration of dedicated fixtures and attachment of fittings.
- Dozer blade to use as an earth anchor/stabiliser, or in obstacle clearance and fire position preparation.
- Large set of recovery and heavy repair tools including a man-portable ultrathermic cutting system with an underwater cutting capability and a man-portable welder.
CRARRVs have subsequently been upgraded to use the updated Challenger 2 powertrain consisting of a CV12-5C/6C engine[29] with TN54E transmission.
CRARRVs were first deployed in action in the lead up to the First Gulf War, Operation Granby in 1991. They were subsequently deployed during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Operation Telic in 2003.
An unspecified number of CRARRVs are to be donated to Ukraine alongside a squadron of Challenger 2 tanks in 2023.[30]
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Operators
Current operators
CRAARV
United Kingdom - 80 in service, subsequently received Challenger 2 powertrain upgrades.
Oman - 4 in service.
Future Operators
CRAARV
Ukrainian Army - an unspecified number to be donated alongside a squadron of 14 Challenger 2 tanks.[31]
Former operators
United Kingdom - 420 in service until replaced by Challenger 2 by 2001.
Jordan - 402 tanks delivered, King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau upgraded Jordanian Challengers and have become known as Al-Hussein. Multiple local variants. Now phased out of service and replaced by 141 ex-Italian Army B1 Centauro 8x8 Mobile Gun Systems, ex-German Marder 1A3 Infantry Fighting Vehicles, and ex-Emirati Leclerc tanks.[32]
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Source: "Challenger 1", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, January 31st), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Challenger_1.
Further Reading
Composite armour

Royal Armoured Corps

Challenger 2

Leopard 1

Chobham armour
Leclerc tank

T-84

Leopard 2

Chieftain (tank)

Tank classification

Royal Australian Armoured Corps

Royal Jordanian Army
Vickers MBT

List of main battle tanks by generation

Main battle tank

Tanks in the British Army

MBT-80

Challenger 3
Sources
- McManners, Hugh, Gulf War One Real Voices From the Front Line, Ebury Publishing, 2010, ISBN 9780091935986
References
- ^ Hamilton, Archie (12 January 1987). "Challenger Tank (Cost)". House of Commons Debates. HMSO. 108. Column 95W. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
- ^ a b Foss, Christopher (22 February 2018). "Jordan restructures its armoured formations". Jane's Defence Weekly. Archived from the original on 22 February 2018.
- ^ a b Clark, Robert (16 January 2023). "Britain is sending the Ukrainians the wrong tanks". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
- ^ Binnie, Jeremy (20 October 2020). "Jordan exercises new Leclerc tanks". Janes Defence Weekly. Janes. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
- ^ a b c Classic Military Vehicle Magazine, Issue 46, March 2005
- ^ Dunstan, Simon (1998). Challenger Main Battle Tank 1982-97. Osprey Publishing Ltd. p. 18. ISBN 1-85532-485-7.
- ^ "Ron Mihalko - CAT '87 Scoreboard". Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
- ^ "Ron Mihalko - CAT '87 Teams". Archived from the original on 30 April 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
- ^ "Hansard: House of Commons Debate 14 July 1987. Vol 119 c437W: Tank Gunnery (Standards)". Archived from the original on 2 January 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
- ^ Jane's Defence Weekly: Volume 12, Jane's Publishing Company, 1989 (p.7)
- ^ "His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al-Hussein". kingabdullah.jo. Archived from the original on 13 February 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
- ^ Tucker, Spencer; Roberts, Priscilla (2008). The Encyclopedia of the Arab–Israeli Conflict: A Political, Social, and Military History. ABC-CLIO. p. 25. ISBN 9781851098422. Archived from the original on 6 February 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- ^ "Written Answers: Defence". House of Commons Debates. HMSO. 336. 27 October 1999. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
- ^ Hencke, David (29 October 2002). "UK gives 400 tanks to Jordan". The Guardian. The Guardian. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
- ^ Hencke, David (29 October 2002). "UK gives 400 tanks to Jordan". The Guardian. The Guardian. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
- ^ "Falcon Turret". Fighting-Vehicles.com. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
- ^ Binnie, Jeremy (20 October 2020). "Jordan exercises new Leclerc tanks". Janes Defence Weekly. Janes. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
- ^ Meiritz, Annett; Murphy, Martin; Specht, Frank; Waschinski, Gregor (20 January 2023). "Deutsche Industrie bietet mehr als 100 Kampfpanzer für Ukraine an". Handelsblatt. Handelsblatt. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
- ^ "1 (British) Armoured Division". Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
- ^ a b McManners p36
- ^ McManners p18
- ^ a b "Challenger 1 Main Battle Tank". Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- ^ Conduct of the Persian Gulf War: final report to Congress. United States. Dept. of Defense. 1992.
- ^ Dunstan (pp.37–39)
- ^ Dunstan (p.39)
- ^ GlobalSecurity.org
- ^ Dunstan, Simon (1998). Challenger Main Battle Tank 1982-97. Osprey Publishing Ltd. p. 40. ISBN 1-85532-485-7.
- ^ Morrison, Bob. "REME CRARRV ON IRON CHALLENGE 2022". Joint-Forces.com. Joint-Forces.com. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
- ^ "Challenger Tanks: Engines (Qs.1)". TheyWorkForYou. UK Parliament. 22 April 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
- ^ Wallace, Ben (16 January 2023). "Oral statement to Parliament by the Defence Secretary on war in Ukraine". GOV.UK. HM Government. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
- ^ Wallace, Ben (16 January 2023). "Oral statement to Parliament by the Defence Secretary on war in Ukraine". GOV.UK. HM Government. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
- ^ "Jordan restructures its armoured formations | Jane's 360". Archived from the original on 1 July 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
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