Why the UK Challenger Tank is So Hot Right Now

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Of course it wouldn’t be a British tank without the ability to brew tea, and the Challenger II comes with not one, but two boiling vessels, or kettles. While the strategic logic for these is that it allows the crew to boil any water for consumption they find if they are unable to be resupplied with traditional logistics, we all know it’s so they don’t run the risk of not being able to have their afternoon cup of Earl Grey. The Challenger II first saw operational use at the turn of the millenia in 2000 where it was deployed for peacekeeping missions in Bosnia and Kosovo. Nothing says peace quite like a 120mm explosive tank round fired at 2200 feet per second.
Written by: Chris Cappy and Justin Taylor
Edited by: Savvy Studios
It’s first combat experience wasn’t until a few years later in 2003 during the invasion of Iraq, where 120 of the vehicles under the 7th Armoured Brigade saw action around the port city of Basra, where it destroyed a number of Iraqi T54 and 55 tanks. It was here that it earned its reputation for being an unstoppable behemoth. During urban operations, aka, the worst place for a tank to have to perform, one challenger II came under fire by RPG-7s. The first hit damaged the driver’s sights, as the commander ordered for the tank to back out of the area, it became stuck in a ditch after throwing track, meaning the tracked portion became unattached from the actual road wheels, effectively immobilizing it. While stuck, it would be hit by another fourteen RPGs, and a MILAN ATGM. The crew were able to hold their position in the tank completely uninjured, and it was later towed away for repairs, and most impressively, was back in operation just six hours later. Another Challenger II tank in the same battle would be struck by a reported 70 RPG rounds, and was still able to continue fighting, albeit the crew probably had a headache by the end of it.
Task & Purpose is a military news and culture oriented channel. We want to foster discussion about the defense industry.
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[@Taskandpurpose]

British Challenger Tanks incoming! Get Your Own Mini GOAT Replica Today! bit.ly/2OlOkHu

[@lincewick8590]

ha ha ha Crimea to that address, of course after leaving Afghanistan. what a humor that of this Bobo... if we forget the mutilated of the other wars, one more that will be for the war traumatized

[@devnull2862]

What is the single frame of Jim Carrey alluding to when none have been lost to 'enemy' fire?

[@trumanhw]

Russia gets to play with Chogham armor within a few days of its arrival. Sucks for the U.S.

[@emilsohn1671]

One can argue the UK broke the stalemate of sending MBTs. I will also argue France opened that can of worms a bit by announcing AMX-10 support for ukraine. I know these aren't MBTs, but we know they are good scouts, and able to knock out many of the tanks russians use as MBTs.

[@357SWAGNUM_MAGA_X]

Your channel has been nothing but western propaganda lately 😂😂😆 i

[@LordBillington42]

It's not a tank, it's the world's best protected mobile tea brewing facility.

[@tonyr4873]

It's capable of brewing up several kinds of T, including T90, T72, T64, T34 & Earl Grey

[@LordBillington42]

@@tonyr4873 👏

[@Bugman541]

o7

[@aluminumfalcon552]

Pretty sure that’s only when manned by Brits.

[@patrickelliott-brennan8960]

Love that because it's soooooooooooooooo true!

[@dannyshaw4057]

I was in the Royal Navy, and as part of my role as a forward observer for naval gunfire, I would be sent to Salisbury plain with the army on regular occasions....which initially I resented greatly! One day out in a Challenger (2), after a really really complex and tiring sequence we came to the end of the opp, miles from anywhere, so we stepped out and the next thing I knew a sergeant put a cup in my hand and a little foil oval "Tea and a potato, sir"....and my thoughts were simultaneously "tea?", "potato?" and "WTF?". Turned to see the squaddies tucking into a jacket potato and supping on tea.....I did the same, basic as it sounds. it was probably the nicest lunch I've ever had, the tea and the potato were perfect. (I was less of a "Rupert" after that, and started giving my army colleagues the respect they deserved.) You can learn a lot in the military, even if it is to enjoy the small things in life, and to be less of an a...hole.

[@denissmith7671]

Never expected to hear such a wholesome tank story. Thank you for sharing this, sir!

[@gordonfrickers5592]

A great yarn, thank you 😄

[@Scaleyback317]

A matelot Rupert an arsehole!? Not having that......

[@dannyshaw4057]

@@Scaleyback317 I think the lesson is the quality and different experience that goes into UK (and probably other western militaries). I was an officer, I even technically outranked the army company commander in this exercise - the sergeant I was working with saw a man (with a clipboard!) under stress who needed some sustenance and a friendly word. It's a cup of tea, and some food, but it made me better at my job for 10+ years going forward. I went to bad places after that with real people shooting at myself, and those I was responsible for: I handled it better because of that day - not the spreadsheets, the mapping of resources, combination of fire or whatever; I think I realised I was working with dynamic humans beings, I could trust them, and if I applied the resources I had they could trust me. Rupert - out.

[@sicknote1558]

​@@dannyshaw4057respect 👍

[@WrathOfGrapesN7]

Interesting fact, the 2 in challenger 2 is actually the number of boiling vessels on board. The challenger 3 is gonna have a 3rd one. Fuelled by that much tea, the crew are going to be unstoppable.

[@davidanderson_surrey_bc]

Assuming they aren't spending half their time pulling over to the side of the road so they can pee in the bushes.

[@MnktoDave]

@@davidanderson_surrey_bc That's what the bottom trap door is for.

[@_.YouTubeBad_.]

@@davidanderson_surrey_bc they can pee through a door in the tank, but theres no privacy. these are high quality tanks, not a cheap t-72

[@mcmackmuckm8180]

😁.....and the word 'gullible' has been removed from the dictionary!

[@daveffs1935]

@@_.KZbinBad_. It actually has an onboard toilet under the loaders seat

[@elhefe83]

As a German I would have liked to see our Military giving like 80% of our Leopard 2 Tanks (and other heavy equipment like IFVs) to Ukraine. This would have exposed our forces for a couple of years until we would have been able to get new ones. But if we're honest, all European countries have their armies because of one country and thats russia. 200 Leopard Tanks destroying Russian Hardware in Ukraine do more for my countries security than 1000 Leopards standing around in a Depot at home. I find it kinda sad that not more countries see the logic in that. Its not like UK is having tanks because Spain is going to come wage a tank battle with them - nobody is exposed if we supply this stuff to a country that keeps the russian army on the brink of collapse.

[@matsv201]

Yea.. kind of. If they are not made to be used now, they will never be used. The idea that we are worse defended is totaly stupid. Who would attack us? If we tie up more Russian tanks in Ukraine, there is less to attack us here.

[@danstotland6386]

Scholz is a Russian asset. He has been dragging his feet for months and spouting numerous excuses.

[@matraquilhochumbo352]

The problem is that probably you dont have 200 working leopards in all EU armies. at least the 2A6 that seems to be the ones Germany wants to send.

[@randomdude2832]

so your plan is to p*ss russia of and have no weapons afterward... sounds smart...

[@matsv201]

​@@matraquilhochumbo352 sweden have 121 alone every single one in active use.

[@snaker9er]

I've had a lot of experience gunning in the Challenger 2 and can honestly say that the squash head round is very effective against enemy spawn points

[@anobody7467]

lmfao

[@randomcomputer7248]

your head is a squash round

[@BlueZirnitra]

Hopefully we are sending some premium time and enough credits to shoot gold.

[@saitama9994]

@@BlueZirnitra hes talking about warthunder not world of tanks. I shudder to think of the state of the game if a challenger 2 was in wot.

[@mattnar3865]

@@saitama9994 If it was in the game it still wouldn't be as good as Russian tanks, Russian bias in World of Tanks is ridiculous

[@Andrew-Lee91]

227 ist actually the number of active tanks currently. We have 384 in total. 75 are stored for longterm storage as a replacement reserve. 51 are stored in Sennelager to work as a reserve for all the challenger 2 at the Eastern Nato flank. These 51 are being held serviceable so they could immediately replace any destroyed or damaged challenger 2 (for example in Estonia where the Welsh cavalry regiment is with their challenger 2) That leaves 31 challenger 2 with no real purpose. That's why we can afford to send 14 without affecting our active forces like our prime already stated. Ofc it would be great to have 1000 challenger 2 (or even 3) so ofc active personnel sometimes say things like these, but from active serving people I know that the situation of our challies ain't bad or anywhere near the situation of Germany and its leopard disaster. Also there haven't been 447 built in total. It is 424. 38 Challenger 2E for Oman and 386 for the UK.

[@JinKazama92]

Also during peace time for the defense industry, there's no point in making more tanks. If war breaks out that's when the factories start rolling out new ones for the inventory.

[@NibblestheHamster]

Jordan has a few hundred challenger one they’ve recently decommissioned

[@IduNaVi2023]

The first batch of 14 Denys Davydov reports is due to receive a second batch of another 14.

[@bionicgeekgrrl]

Something like 130 are set aside for conversion to challenger 3 I believe as well, so some of the availability numbers,might reflect the first of those earmarked to go to Germany.

[@demonic_myst4503]

Supermokev thats how people felt before ww2 why britain had soo little tanks at the start of ww2 and why we relied on america for industrial suport britain demiliterised alot after ww1 because we had the same mindset and entering ww2 we were ougunned

[@vernor2767]

and it just exploded and burned

[@theimmortal4718]

Every tank does, now. Between FPV drones, loitiering munitions, and laser guided artillery shells, large MBTs are on their way out

[@daveingram1351]

you could also have mentioned the longest recorded tank on tank kill with direct fire was Challenger 1 at 4700 meters during the gulf war

[@williamdrummond3584]

Hey bud I think is was nearly 5.5km and it was a challenger II , but yes awesome tank. 😜😜🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@Davo-007]

​@@williamdrummond3584 Wrong !! The distance has always been debated but 5.1K seems the most documented. One thing is for certain and that's that it was a Challenger One during operation Desert storm in 91 or the British term Operation Granby. I'm not sure which regiment claimed it but I think it was 7th armoured brigade and not 4th Armoured Brigade. I was out there with 4th armoured brigade on the Challenger One crews and didn't witness this however I did witness the blue on blue that happened to the 2 RRF Warrior apc that got smacked with two Maverick missiles from two circulating A10s at the back of our Battle group. I think it was 9 fusiliers we lost that day 😪

[@mulkanmulkan5620]

Too bad it's not gulf war.. 😆

[@Mortablunt]

The Russian T90A now has that beat with a 6 km shot using a gun launched ATGM.

[@ni9274]

@@Mortablunt proof ?

[@LeonardTavast]

The problem with thinking that sending tanks will deplete the fleet is that the main threat, by far, is Russia. Every tank sent to Ukraine will significantly lower the risk of the reserves having to be used in the coming decade. They are more useful destroying Russian vehicles in Ukraine than they are sitting at home, requiring maintenance.

[@johnjingleheimersmith9259]

Yeah exactly! What in the world is Britain going to do without those 12 tanks when the french invade....from the sea.

[@GregNicolas-vb6vj]

Exactly. There is no conceivable situation where the Challengers would have to confront an enemy on UK soil, so use them where they can do exactly what they are designed to do - take out Russian armour.

[@Brimwald]

Because the UK has never gone to war with anyone but Russia...

[@TheDocLamkin]

@@Brimwald This all propaganda, fake bot accounts replying to garner public support. No one wants this war except the pedophiles looking for a country to run to after the Epstein files drop

[@jarls5890]

Exactly. To put it to a point; Let Ukrainians man the tanks and fight Russians on Ukrainian soil - or wait, and have English man the tank and fight Russians on UK soil. Seems like an easy choice.

[@JohnPap21]

Indeed its hot. It's burning way better than Leopard 2.

[@UsudUsud-ly9qr]

Damn its tea boiling kettle can boil now in a matter of seconds, just like its crew

[@FenrirSrpski]

And in such a nice colores, and did get any closer to Crimea

[@OggyGTA]

How is the troll farm today, comrades?

[@glennhearn401]

not as hot as the turret tossers in ukraine lmao

[@la-zrider2749]

​@@glennhearn401 Dude, that Challenger had a cook-off and tossed its turret, if you look carefully at the pictures. It just didn't throw it very far due to the weight, but you can clearly see the turret ring exposed.

[@1BadZ]

Frankly, I'm surprised there wasn't a joke about Jarvis the T-Rex being a small arms dealer.... I'll see myself out.

[@restojon1]

Lol 😆 🤣 well played 👏 👌

[@skysurferuk]

🤣👍

[@fredtorres1703]

This was goood....

[@jackthorton10]

Forget the real war, you sir have provoked the infamous… Pun War… avast thee!!! ;)

[@jekasolomon]

I believe it's spelled: Jaw-rvis

[@davidaward82]

iirc, the boiling vessels were implemented after a tank column was attacked while they were stopped for lunch, with the crews outside their vehicles. it was decided that it should be possible for the crew to do so inside the tank while still being able to have a hot cup of tea. creature comforts and all that.

[@T0mat0S0up]

Unfortunately the British only weakness is running out of milk and sugar.

[@gordonfrickers5592]

So it should be and quite right too.

[@dogstar5572]

Challenger 2s don’t miss. A British tank commander told me so. He was in Iraq. The problem, he said, was avoiding the enemy tanks turrets flying through the air.

[@BC_Joshie]

getting hit is not really a problem for the challenger 2, thats why NATO uses them lead all the other NATO tanks into battle in desert storm etc their armor is the best.

[@dulls8475]

@@BC_Joshie Its not how it works.

[@Scaleyback317]

@@BC_Joshie Not sure how you arrived at that but then I somehow doubt you are also not sure!

[@YTDumpsterBaby]

@@Scaleyback317 Challenger 2 Armor is 2nd to none. The second-generation Chobham Armor, over typical steel-rolled homogeneous Armor should always get the job done. If it doesn't there are counter measures known as reactive Armor that will explode if an explosion hits the tank. This deflects any blasts away from the tank. There have been Challengers 2 in battle that took dozens of RPG rockets and brushed them off. One was even hit by anti tank rockets fired from an aircraft and again brushed it off. They're only as good as the men piloting them and i have no doubt the Ukraine forces are going to do them proud. I can't wait to see footage of these in action against the Russian Jack in the Boxes

[@Scaleyback317]

@@YTDumpsterBaby Thank you, well aware of the effectiveness of British armour!

[@marcuswardle3180]

Perhaps the main reason that the Challenger is such a good tank is that the spec.'s for it was written up by a tanker. He ended up by leading the Challengers in the Gulf War.

[@thewomble1509]

Sir Patrick Cordingly.

[@davidanderson_surrey_bc]

The Challenger 3 will not only keep the two boiling vessels, but will also have a small crumpet griddle and a miniature oven for scones.

[@Mr.Plankton.]

Unlimited power.

[@steveholmes11]

What about cucumber sandwiches and quail eggs.

[@henryattfield8979]

My grandad was chief engineer at Perkins and was the main guy who invested the direct injection diesel engine, and common rail diesel. He got an OBE for it. The military specifications for the tank engines they bought from the company was that they should last 30 mins combat time.

[@peterwait641]

The Perkins CV12 is a Rolls Royce design and it has a inline fuel pump not common rail. Cat' who now own Perkins developed a common rail system for the CV12 , however this was not used on the CV12 9A engine because of the bacteria and dirt that lives in fuel tanks !

[@bradcolby7373]

As an American,I love visiting the UK and respect for starting the tank trend 🇬🇧🤝🇺🇸

[@ndog4773]

Brad come over and visit Bovington Tank museum. Everything from the first tanks to fun stuff like a working Tiger tank. (You may even see some Ukrainians getting trained at the attached tank crew training facility.

[@RustyBear]

So u love rain and cloudy weather 😂

[@dropsboms6153]

@@RustyBear Duh!!! I'll bet you havnt even been out of your home town ( mountain village) unless you have been in the military AND eithger way I'll bet that you cant find any country or region on a world map or a passsport for that matter

[@TolerablyInterested]

​@@ndog4773 I've travelled down to the tank museum a few times. Outstanding day out.

[@dropsboms6153]

@@RustyBear still googling the world map trying to find your country

[@KangoV]

Challenger has the longest recorded tank on tank kill at 4.7km. This was technically out of range of the Challenger 1 at the time.

[@lyndoncmp5751]

Amazingly a Tiger I of Schwere Panzer Abteilung 506 did 3.9km in the Ukraine near Brody on 21st July 1944. According to the unit records anyway.

[@DanTheMedic69]

@@lyndoncmp5751 so shorter than the claimed record from KangoV

[@lyndoncmp5751]

@@leadhead__ Yes that was exactly my point. Very astonishing that a tank did almost a 4 km kill nearly 80 years ago. Must have been a very lucky shot but still.......!!

[@Gez492]

@@lyndoncmp5751 The Tiger was a more for intimidation than actual tank warfare, it was more akin to a mobile artillery piece than a modern MBT . The theoretical range of a "battle ready" Tiger was pitiful 100 km on the road, in the terrain, it had 60 km. but some say it was even worse, mostly due to terrible fuel leaks. The tiger suffered from mechanical defects. More Tigers had to be abandoned because of defects than were destroyed by the enemy. The problem here was that as soon as you are in retreat, any damaged or stuck tank is a total loss. In the offensive, you can recover and repair such tanks. It was unnecessarily complex in many ways, It used a steering wheel (instead of a steering lever) with a two radius superimposed steering gear. This was a simple and good steering system, but complex to manufacture. The semi-automatic transmission also caused big breakdown problems. The fans of the engine coolers needed 19 gears FFS! It also had unnecessary capabilities. The first half of the production was equipped for submersion. Rubber seals, snorkel and a waterproof engine bay were necessary for this. All this turned out to be unnecessary. As it was so heavy if it submerged you were unlikely to see it again. It was notoriously unreliable, often broke down and simply abandoned because it was just not feasible to repair in Theater. If the Allies had better guns and heavier shells, Tigers would have been sitting ducks. The idea of these machines was always more impressive than the actuality.

[@lyndoncmp5751]

@@Gez492 Post war revisionist myth for the most part I'm afraid. In fact Tigers were used extensively. They saw a lot of combat action. That's why they had the highest kill ratio of any tank in WW2. Circa 10,000 enemy tanks, assault guns and tank destroyers knocked out. Even accounting for exaggeration they certainly took out a lot of enemy AFVs, particularly on the Eastern Front where it was good open tank country and excellent fields of fire often. The Tiger battalions were the fire brigades of the German armoured forces, always being rushed to critical sectors. Overall they performed well and took a very heavy toll of the enemy. They could not achieve the impossible and win the war however. The war was already going against Germany before the Tigers were deployed. Their overall operational average was 65-70% west/east fronts in 1944/45 which is actually good for a heavy tank. In 1944 the average was 80% plus. It dipped low on 1945 when the German lacked maintenance and repair resources. Source. Thomas L Jentz, Germanys Tiger tanks. I would advise you to stop watching inaccurate tv or You Tube documentaries that repeat the post war revisionist myth. Instead read books by Tiger veterans such as Otto Carius (Tigers In the Mud) and Richard von Rosen (Panzer Ace) or overall unbiased appraisals like Sledgehammers: Strengths and Flaws of Tiger Tank Battalions in WW2 by Christopher Wilbeck. Carius said none of his Tiger ever broke down on combat and that a well trained driver who treated the Tiger properly with due care and attention could reduce mechanical issues by 90%. Von Rosen said you learned to live with the flaws and managed to deal with them because the positives far outweighed the negatives. Little know fact. All the Tigers that fought in Normandy did a 300km plus road march to get there. Once in Normandy they became a thorn in the side of the British and Canadians, stalling their advance for a considerable time. Tigers weren't super weapons but nor were they immobile pill boxes that did nothing but break down.

[@NitrogenPurged]

Spent time with RTR. Coming from a small nation military that only has LAV 3s it was an awesome experience can honestly say the Chally is an impressive vehicle and I'm certain we will hear amazing things from Ukraine about the platform. I'd definitely say its superior to any east block 'equivalent'.

[@michealrcnicholson9342]

Dude, it stands up well against its western contemporaries too, what ever the haters say. Been proven time and again. It was built for war, not leave keeping, and doesn't enjoy sitting in the vehicle shed!

[@kallanr360]

I think a large reason the U.K isn't worried about sending our tanks is attacking us is not an easy prospect. We are small island surrounded by water and sky, actually landing a force here would be difficult. Keeping any reasonable resupply for those forces while fighting off the R.A.F and RN will be fun when you account for the weather and the fact you probably landed in Scotland surrounded on all sides by water, its -3, raining and the local population of heroin addicts have been deployed as shock troops to contest your landing.

[@swissmilitischristilxxii3691]

Romans, normans, vikings, accordionists, etc ... all went bango in britannia

[@edwardtandy9613]

​@@swissmilitischristilxxii3691 A thousand years ago. Way to keep up with the times. The only reason Switzerland wasn't squashed by zee Germans was because it kept all the Jewish gold teeth nice and secure for them.

[@kallanr360]

@@swissmilitischristilxxii3691 Give it to the Romans though they threw an Aquila on the beach to get the assault moving, i respect that.

[@swissmilitischristilxxii3691]

@@edwardtandy9613 no, we weren't invaded cause we all have guns. We have more guns per capita than the US. We keep our military rifles Sig550 at home after the army. With a 50 euros permit you can buy whatever firearm you want, full auto, subs, suppressors. No safe needed, no need to be part of a shooting club, no psycho test or shit like that. Every village has a shooting range, it's a federal law. Shooting is a tradition in Switzerland since the 1500's and swiss mercenaries in Europe and swiss papal guards. My daughters 10 and 11 practice shooting, like the majority of swiss. And because the majority of swiss hate the lazy germs. We can carry all the knives we want except symetrical blades and butterflies. You can open carry a katana if you want. It's the only gun friendly nation with the US and czech republic. The kind of freedom you can only dream about.

[@smoofles]

@@swissmilitischristilxxii3691 Right, you have all the guns and that’s why no one decided that a country locked in by mountains would be a cool place to bomb. Totes makes sens! (Switzerland doesn’t matter, that’s why it wasn’t invaded.)

[@niksandy7125]

Some people think it’s a great tank (me too), some people would say it’s crap even if it had an anti gravity motor, could move at Mach1 at tree top level , it carried 48 precision missiles in a launcher on the turret each having a range of 900 miles plus 9 boiling vessels. But I’m sure the Ukrainians love it, it’s a big morale boost for them and is better than most tanks they have. And, as my wife said, “there is probably nothing better than being able to make a brew at the end of a long fight on a rainy day!” And she’s American! Earl grey is drunk by officers, the lads drink PG tips hence the two boiling vessels.

[@eldridgep2]

Tetley and Yorkshire Tea are acceptable alternatives to PG Tips in tanks and in some environments even Scottish Blend.

[@alexlazar4738]

It sounds like a good tank but the real question is how easy it is to produce, maintain and operate. German tanks were superior to Russian tanks in WW@ but we all know how that story ended. it's all about numbers, spare parts and crews.

[@offshoretomorrow3346]

Tetley is no substitute for tea.

[@augustuslunasol10thapostle]

@@alexlazar4738the USSR only won because the US provided them with trucks that could carry alot of supplies and material their tanks were crap but the tanks follow the infantry and the germans were moving back

[@niksandy7125]

@@eldridgep2 big fan of Yorkshire tea myself. I live in the US and the Irish store down the street doesn’t always have it so PG tips is what I mostly get. When things are desperate, the local Whole Foods sells PG Tips for 3 times the price.

[@DonForceFeedback]

Ex RTR serviceman here, the challenger 2 is in need of modernising (like challenger 3 is doing essentially with the turret) but the worst part about working on the challenger 2 is the maintenance. Everything is too old and is designed in the 80's/90's however it ABSOLUTELY can do the job! It is 100% possible to fire at a target that's moving, whilst the tank is moving, and the target being the size of a car door. The only way it misses is because the gunner doesn't line up the target correctly when firing.

[@Simon-vh5bq]

That didn't age well.

[@sergeipetrov_rzn]

when you say something has NEVER been lost, you ask for trouble, and they where banging that drum like nonstop

[@madzangels]

@@sergeipetrov_rzn one of the concerns of sending the tanks, was the fear of diminishing it's capabilities or reputation while understanding the training and threshold requirements for the Ukrainians crews is about a 5th of that of a British crew - not the Ukrainians fault - it was the sense of urgency, and in my mind this was a mistake. They weren't Brits operating the tank after all. If you think 'experience' doesn't count in Warfare, then I know you've never tasted it.

[@sergeipetrov_rzn]

@@madzangels the brits wouldn't have fared any better

[@madzangels]

@@sergeipetrov_rzn We can agree to disagree, no problem

[@jamisonmaguire4398]

Chobham armor used on the Challenger is so effective it has been incorporated into the Abrams. Quote: One Challenger was struck by 70 RPG rounds and continued fighting but the crew probably had a headache at the end of it. LOL

[@LondonSteveLee]

That same tank was also engaged by Milan - still no breach.

[@Dazzxp]

It wasn't 70 it was 14 and he covered that part.

[@Louis-ej1lx]

@Dazz different case with 70+ 🤡

[@Dazzxp]

@@Louis-ej1lx I still think that number is grossly over inflated, what force runs around with 70 RPG warheads?

[@gwtpictgwtpict4214]

@@Dazzxp You can never have too much ammunition.

[@commando552]

Just to add a bit about the survivability, the only reason that the Challenger 2 that was hit by FF was lost is that by an unfortunate coincidence the commanders hatch on the turret was open and a HESH round hit that. The armour was not actually penetrated, frag got in through the hatch which killed 2 of the crew and caused a fire leading to an ammo cook off blowing the turret off the hull.

[@voidtempering8700]

The Challenger has also been penetrated by an RPG-29.

[@bradleyanderson4315]

@@voidtempering8700 If I remember it blew the drivers foot off.

[@alganhar1]

@@voidtempering8700 True, but that was a fluke shot. The RPG round ricochet off the road surface into the belly armour just under the drivers position. The British Army requested that the armour in that area be reinforced to ensure as much as possible the incident would not repeat itself. So a strip of reinforcing armour was added in that area. Its not invulnerable but if it happens again there is far less chance of the driver being seriously injured.

[@voidtempering8700]

@@alganhar1 Even if it was a fluke, at the time the glacis still only had ERA and a 150mm steel plate, which ant tandem warheads can penetrate. Even with the added Dorchester armor, modern ATGMs can still penetrate the glacis, while something like Kornet can even penetrate the hull, with the only place it can't penetrate being the turret. APFSDS rounds such as the 125mm can penetrate the glacis and the hull. The tank is far from invulnerable. Edit: It looks like the thing that hit under the tank was an IED, the RPG-29 did not appear to be a fluke shot.

[@guythomas7051]

@@voidtempering8700 No.

[@apple64z]

Why the UK Challenger Tank is So Hot Right Now Because it's burning.

[@ggarlick46]

Just one...plus 11 Leopards.

[@jerzy484]

Plus pretty much all the T-90s Russia has with their turrets in space

[@mrman5666]

there are 0 challngers 2 lost in combat.

[@turnip5359]

​@@mrman5666 Yep, landmine isn't classed as combat

[@luchofer3107]

​@@turnip5359😂😂😂bum bum bum

[@David-hi9rp]

I am a British guy and nearly laughed my arse off when you mentioned how us brits love our tea on board our tanks !! Damn right gotta 'ave a brew mate

[@ianmills9266]

Wouldn't be a fight without a brew

[@gozewstuffnthings5837]

Mate, we even have them in our drops trucks for container carrying.. god send when stagging on for 36 hours in a truck cab!

[@ianmills9266]

@@gozewstuffnthings5837 you had a cab? I staged on in a hole

[@PixelLife101]

Though it won't be Earl Grey.

[@peterhoward8727]

Lancashire lad but I damn sure like that Yorkshire tea.

[@ieuanhunt552]

Obviously it's because of the standard issue boiling vessel fitted to every tank. That crazy jet engine and all those fancy optics on the Abrams is all fine and dandy. But sometimes a bloke just wants a brew while he's hull down waiting on an ambush.

[@jackleith3502]

Interesting trivia, the tea making facilities have been standard on all tanks post WW2. During the allied invasion of France following D Day, a column of Churchills stopped so the commanders could get out to discuss their next moves/check maps etc. over a cuppa. A hidden Tiger rained hell on them destroying most of them, and since then the tea making facilities have been incorporated into British tanks.

[@japhfo]

C'mon- you know it was a Pz kfw IV

[@keithad6485]

A cuppa is a must, if a battle cannot be fought without basic necessities of life, it is no longer civilised 😉 I have not heard of this Tiger/Churchill event before. Interesting. Maybe Germans figured out this tactic, remain hidden, watch til Brit crewmen brew up! then spew forth fire and brimstone! My M113 in Aussie Army did not have this luxury til we were issued M113s with Brit Scorpion turrets mounted atop! from a retired Aussie Armoured Corps soldier.

[@jackleith3502]

As a British fellow, I can certify that without tea, all civility is indeed lost! I can’t quite remember what book I read the story in, I think it was a tanker’s memoir from WW2 but can’t remember who. It’s shocking you guys down under didn’t tea making facilities though! Mind you, with the fauna of Australia you are all built very differently from us Brits and I’m sure you if you can survive gigantic spiders and warring emus you can survive without a good cuppa 😉

[@keithad6485]

In Aussie Armoured Corps, we solved the lack of hot water/tea making facility with a portable LP gas bottle with stove device on top. Cos of the gas aspect, we had to strap the gas bottle to the outside of the afv.

[@robendert7617]

6 months later ... it doesn't look like very many Challenger 2's will ever roll on Crimean soil!

[@gavinlun]

Ben Wallace is about the only good politician we have in the UK at the moment

[@CheekoLFreako]

his shot blocking ability is amazing. Without him I don’t think the pistons beat the lakers

[@rymoe6299]

I quite like David Lammy 😂🍻

[@just_a_turtle_chad]

Lmao

[@lesterquintrell4844]

Yes and he is nothing to shout about either.

[@blankpage555]

yeah and so confident, he said at the beginning to beat ruskies like during crimean war. 1 year on ruskies are stopped in their tracks.

[@rustyshackleford3884]

It’s a very impressive tank and I’m glad we are on the same side…but the hot water kit for tea is the single most British thing I’ve ever heard. It’s brilliant for morale…Slava earl grey?

[@mikeedwards350]

It's always played for laughs, but the BV can also heat up rations. Crews can stay safe, warm and fed and with the APU can stay at a high state of readiness for days.

[@andrewaustin6369]

Also stops the crews being sniper bait as they don't need to leave the tank for brews and grub a small detail but given the level of training the crew has a practical one.

[@Destroyer_V0]

Who says you need to use the kettle just for tea? Hot water can be used for soups, coffee, 2 minute noodles... and that's just the stuff I am familiar with.

[@northernmonkey241]

The whole British Army Ration pack is centred around boil in the bag food - open your ration pack, select the meal and shove it in the BV

[@col4574]

Earl Gey is only for the Paras,otherwise its Breakfast tea for privates, Assam for NCO s and Darjeeling for the Officers.

[@manumanitas161]

13 more to go

[@apple64z]

@@right584 Ukraine has already lost 6 such tanks. one was blown one was broken four were stolen

[@messier8379]

Dint even maked it to the Dragon teeths😂

[@tayzonday]

I find it fascinating that you film these a month before they upload, but it makes sense with all the post-production.

[@isaigarcia394]

What's up KZbin God.

[@reer1877]

Glad to see you here amigo.

[@bigspear4358]

da chocolate rain nigga

[@Taskandpurpose]

Usually it’s a week , this one got delayed ! I added new information from this week though

[@dimaniko]

@@Taskandpurpose Isn't parade footage at 0:51 from two days ago?

[@KirstenBayes]

I am glad the tea making system was mentioned.

[@KirstenBayes]

@Talorc MacAllan no question about it!

[@richardodonoghue]

the entire tank is designed around the tea urns, and the combat capabilities mean battles should be over by 3pm - just in time for tea!

[@zenko247]

Great system THINK about it ,So your in a battlefield in Ukrainian Winter, Want hot food and hot drink So in Most tanks you have to "get out" make a fire/use the tank exhaust to boil water for your dried rations and a hot drink. In a Challenger 2 Not so . Stay in your nice warm tank and eat hot food and a Brew.😁 That civilized

[@KirstenBayes]

@@richardodonoghue having tea surrounded by dead enemies = proper tea time!

[@KirstenBayes]

@@zenko247 put it like that, makes a lot of sense!

[@karlphillips8310]

I love the Challenge II and was lucky enough together with my great team to design and install some of the fantastic 'stuff' on it. What people don't generally know is that the boiling vessel together with the tea is the "secret sauce" that makes the platform and the crew into real super heroes. That is why they are fitted with two boiling vessels for extra-super-powers. Oh my dog, when Challenger II gets together with the rest of their NATO platforms on the battlefield, you definitely don't want to be on the wrong end of that set of 'bad boys and girls', because I will warn you now that you will have a really bad day that eclipses anything you've ever had before that.

[@MrShiftyeyesshady]

Eastern Europeans love their tea as well, I'm sure the Ukrainian Tankers will appreciate the added amenities.

[@chickenmadness1732]

It's far superior to american tanks for that reason alone.

[@paparoach007]

@@chickenmadness1732 Here here!

[@owensmith7530]

@@chickenmadness1732 I thought the latest US tanks have a boiling vessel, having liked it when seeing the British using it.

[@DrWhosmate]

@@owensmith7530 There's a mini Starbucks and MCdonalds in them.

[@rogerdinhelm4671]

Well, Challenger is indeed hot right now, almost melting!

[@Markus117d]

Lol. True, But i notice your ignoring how many Russian tank crews have posthumously joined the cosmonaut program, But if managing to hit and destroy a single tank that was immobilized and the crew had already evacuated, With an anti-tank missile helps you cope, Go ahead lol..

[@chisions3171]

​@@Markus117dthey aren't talking about the tank but about the propaganda of "game changer" "will go to crimea" and etc...

[@joeswanson5486]

@@Markus117dif destroying an abounded t90m boasted about why can’t the same be said for a challenger

[@Markus117d]

@@joeswanson5486 Because hundreds of them have been destroyed, Which dispite their larger pool of replacements, Is not a bottomless one, Russia has lost so many they are having to raid museums to get more tanks, For me it isn't about celebrating the destruction of a Tank, It's the overblown rhetoric and propaganda that comes with it, As if destroying one tank is the same as winning the war.. 🤣

[@sergeipetrov_rzn]

@@Markus117d nobody is laughing about the tank, no tank is invincible, the laughter is about "the overblown rhetoric and propaganda that comes with" the Chalenger 2

[@richardsawyer5428]

Our government maybe crap but they have been pretty good when it comes to supporting Ukraine. Challenger 2 is an awesome tank, more so now that it's persuaded Germany to supply Leopards. The BV has a serious side to it; many crews were lost to snipers in WW2 as they had to leave their tanks for a brew.

[@dynamicascension981]

Reverse Brexit

[@noah4822]

@@dynamicascension981 >leaves EU because of horseshit laws >writes their own horseshit laws britbong.png

[@mduckernz]

@@noah4822 major not-invented-here syndrome vibes yah 😂

[@mattmark94]

You brits are changing Prime Ministers faster than Italy. Let. That. Sink. In.

[@noah4822]

I think it would be really funny if Australia made a big stink out of trying to get into the EU.

[@jeffjames3111]

That aged well.

[@B.D.E.]

Well yeah, only one damaged in 18 months. That's like a 9999999999999x higher survivability than T-90M.

[@MarkofZollo]

Challenger 2 is arguably the best tank out there, but the Challenger 3 will be interesting. Not sure if you got the update but the smoothbore is confirmed to be included, I knew this in 2018/19 when my company built the prototype turret for Rheinmetall, then known as Challenger 2 LEP (Life Extension Program)

[@_.YouTubeBad_.]

I'm excited for Leopard 3 vs AbramsX vs Challenger 3

[@guythomas7051]

Depends whaT the Treasury cuts from the Budget -- they have not agreed to fund the anti ATGM active defence system .

[@djscotty06]

The boiling vessel is legendary. The Cheiftain can never believe that other countries don’t put one on their new builds. Good bit of kit. Great vid 👍

[@mortonssaltytears4496]

The British fascination with the boiling vessels, is based off of a WW2 study on how tank crews were lost... IIRC, 1/3 of all tank casualties occurred when crew were outside of the tank, mostly heating up food or making tea/coffee...

[@dropsboms6153]

@@mortonssaltytears4496 no the germans called them Tommy cookers as they where easily lit up by exploding fuel tanks on WW2 tanks. Nothing to do with British fasscination of fuck all. ALL Allied tanks where inferior of Nazi Germany tanks barr the Churchill's singular ability, which still holds the world record for rate of climb at the steepest angle and fastest speed (velocity) of any MBT --- Main Battle Tank. Also as a side note..... All British MBT's names start with the letter "C" Why is this? Because we invented the damned thing, and at a time where we Invented over 70% of everything invented. Sorry the above fact got in the way of said fact I was in Fact pointing out! Which is the Battle of Cambrrae (check spelling) which was the 1st (ignore this bit successful tank battle) tank battle of the 1st world war, In France where we broke trhe strale mate and gained for thje 1st time by days end 6 miles break thouigh of the gerrman trenches and defences.

[@d.o.g573]

We Germans are always there to help Brits to gain insight into fighting…

[@davidty2006]

The kettle is manditory. So are the biscuits.

[@SoundBoy808]

@@davidty2006 T&P going on about ammo load outs. What is the BISCUIT loadout!!?? We need answers to the important questions....

[@Condorman1]

I think the British did a noble and necessary move by sending these tanks to Ukraine. They were the first to commit to sending tanks to Ukraine in the hopes that those countries who were sitting on the fence, would follow suit. And history shows they did. Great Britain supports Ukraine all the way and they deserve that acknowledgement. Slava Great Britain.

[@guffeluffe5987]

But ukrainian refugees had to leave UK because they are being harassed by your favourite muslim immigrants

[@serg764]

😂😂😂 stupid

[@ftb3817]

Ukraine is the most corrupt country in Europe depleting any nato countries resources while starting ww3 for them is retarded Russia can have Ukraine yall un mfs so scary yall gotta wage war with Russia through the guise of Ukraine American citizens want no part in protecting Bidens and other corrupt us politicians laundering grounds in Ukraine. We don't like Russia either however I see a positive or net nutruel relationship with Russia is much better for us rather than a negative one pushing them into Chinese arms aka the real enemy

[@INSANESUICIDE]

I believe it was France that sent the AMX10 I believe that were the first to send heavy equipment was it not?

[@mxjaz82]

I honestly hope they stop spending my money.

[@pilotman9819]

Aaannnnddd its gone.

[@B.D.E.]

Only one damaged by a mine/artillery so far. Meanwhile, how many tanks has russia lost again? From a demonstrable minimum of 2700, up to maybe 4000?

[@luchofer3107]

​@@B.D.E.how many Ukraine, more than 8000

[@dsw1664]

8:00 Technically Sunaks predecessor was Truss, but you're forgiven for forgetting about her. As a Brit, I can inform you that she was about as useful as a chocolate brewing station inside a Challenger 2.

[@Jedi_Scowen]

She didn't even outlast the lettuce.

[@Jams848484]

She was never supposed to be prime minister. A mistake, quickly rectified.

[@christophercarey6522]

@@Jedi_Scowen Granted! But now Sunak and clever Dick Hunt without the "C" are starting to follow her budget plans. So in essence she right and was set up to fail by the Tory party and Leftist newspapers and medias! The Members voted for her and the establishment made sure she fell come high water?

[@amirferdhany3177]

She’s like Margeret Thatcher but without the argument of being good

[@B.D.E.]

​@@amirferdhany3177Margaret Thatcher is one of the most hated humans to have ever existed in the UK. That should be some clue as to her probably not being 'good'.

[@charak100able]

thaks to UK for taking the first step. more must come ...more will come.

[@addrianjordan9213]

so glad you covered this so many people out there say Germany and the US was the first to send tanks which is not true

[@piotrnowak9032]

Poland and Czechia were first to send tanks, but those were modernized old Soviet designs. Poland also wanted to sent leopards 2A4, but Germany blocked that. Germans wanted US to send their tanks first and US didn't want to send Abrams, because they were too complicated. UK broke that stalemate.

[@alganhar1]

@@piotrnowak9032 Yes, and lets face it, it required someone to break that stalemate. 15 Challenger II's plus their support (2 recovery and 2 repair/maintenance vehicles if I remember right) are not going to make a huge difference on their own. But if it opens up a steady supply of Leopard 2's or even M1A2's then its worth it, even if the Challengers only see limited action because of their limited numbers.

[@sluttybutt]

The UK has been at the tip of the spear when it comes to donating to and training Ukraine. They're still pissed off about the Skripals

[@d.o.g573]

@@piotrnowak9032 There is a general ban on delivering armaments from Germany into conflicts - no special treatments for anyone

[@ivancho5854]

​@@d.o.g573Except for Ukraine. They received their first Leopard from Germany today. 👍 Slava Ukraine. 🇺🇦🇬🇧

[@councilestateproduct]

I have a new found respect for the Challenger II, what a beast.

[@UsudUsud-ly9qr]

That comment aged just like challengers crew

[@councilestateproduct]

@@UsudUsud-ly9qrmy comment having aged well or not doesn't apply it's just an opinion and truth be told ONE solitary loss in combat is an incredible success. 80s tech introduced in 1991 (3 decades +) with such a record speaks for itself. The crew having survived to fight another day makes it even sweeter. Don't be a hater bro this has been a fantastic bit of kit over its career.

[@UsudUsud-ly9qr]

@@councilestateproduct well idk it was fantastic against 1960-x RPGs, but look like it can't survive even a single Cornet from 1998

[@councilestateproduct]

@@UsudUsud-ly9qr I'll be honest idk the details and haven't bothered finding out, a tank knocked out while engaged in a raging war is standard stuff. I will say though all military hardware has weak and vulnerable spots, the guy responsible for knocking out the CII used a whole years good luck in that one kill. I hope he gets paid nice for it, bro completed a 3 decade old challenge : ) Edit. The Challenger has loads of documented situations where it ate everything thrown at it - not just a few shitty rpgs either. Beast and half.

[@LetsSWITCHGames]

In my former career I served in one of the Royal Tank Regiments for over 20 years. Britain actually has closer to 260 Challenger 2 tanks, although only around 140 are actually in service. These 142 tanks are being upgraded with the Black Knight LEP. Sending 2 battalions which is now what is being sent, will come from the reserve tanks. They will not have DRA or cage and track armour. Most bridges in Ukraine are designed for loads up to 50 tonnes. Without any additional armour, Chally 2 is over 60 tonnes already.

[@B.D.E.]

That might explain why we haven't seen them used more, as well as with the Abrams.

[@thenegociater3387]

The challenger 2 is a world class tank. Definitely one of the best. The UK trains excellent crews for them though that surely contributed massively to their essentially perfect combat record. I hope the UK is able to pass on that expertise to their Ukrainian trainees. I have great confidence of this as the Ukrainians training in the UK though must be some of the most eager and dedicated students the UK staff have encountered.

[@murphy7801]

Guessing you've never watched armour cast

[@conormcmaster1113]

was world class 20 years ago , used to drive them and there gash compared to abrams or leopard

[@fanfeck2844]

@@murphy7801what makes them experts? Because they said so?

[@adriansheldon7778]

Well the Ukrainians are half way through their training and have said they can't wait to go up against the ruSSains as the challenger 2 is so good compared to the ruSSain tanks .

[@INSANESUICIDE]

As with any weapons system it is only a part that is as good as the whole it is part of.

[@Crane137]

Fully support having not one but two tea-making devices onboard - can you actually imagine the crew morale breakdown if just one of these essential items didn't work??!? Seriously, glad we Brits have made something that T&P approves of…

[@pcread]

Not that a British Army tank crew would be drinking Earl Grey...

[@davidty2006]

Crew will probs spend all day trying to fix the thing.

[@SoundBoy808]

@@pcread command tank bro....

[@Mugdorna]

​@@pcread Yorkshire Tea or PG Tips. With milk.ams sugar.

[@dogcarman]

Mission kill right there. Nothing gets done without first having a nice cuppa.

[@andrewdilworth9180]

Unfortunately now was destroyed last week

[@ninny65]

Crimea what way LMAO

[@steveh5005]

One of the best analysed features on Challenger. Well done old boy. Cheers ✌🇬🇧🇺🇦🇺🇸

[@TheRealStephenAllen]

Is an old boy just a young man?

[@gdok6088]

@@TheRealStephenAllen Yes!

[@TheRealStephenAllen]

@@gdok6088 lol word

[@maninahole]

Here’s my take. The UK is currently developing the Challenger 3. Wouldn’t be a great idea to send your current MBT against a western opponent with tanks to match without the risk of losing any of your own personnel. The Challenger 2, like most western tanks, have only had battles against old soviet tanks. This seems like the perfect research opportunity for developing a third generation tank.

[@About_That_Life]

Yep 👍. Perfect to test your tanks against newer Russian tanks & EVERYTHING Else

[@MrTyp00n]

Except the Challenger 3 isn't in development, it's been developed and is starting production. The UK isn't giving C2's to Ukraine to test them, it's givng them C2's to clear space in the storage area's and barracks for the C3's.

[@claretormerod8220]

They’re sending the tanks over without the trademark “Chobham armour” just incase of capture as it’s one of the best armours a tank could have in the world

[@AethelwulfOfNordHymbraLand2333]

No. The English people are against hostilities with Russia. The British government's plans for Challenger 2 are completely and utterly traitorous. The vehicle has secretive armour, which will inevitably be captured and reverse-engineered by Russia.

[@MrTyp00n]

​@@claretormerod8220 They will have Chobham armour, Chobham isn't a single kind of armour, it's an armour class that changes constantly depending on what environment and weapons the armour is expected to deal with. So you can send one kind of Chobham to south eastern Europe safe in the knowledge that tanks stationed in Northern Europe next year will have a very different kind of Chobham. The plan probably is "lets see what sort of weapons the Russians throw at these tanks so the next armour generation can be tailored to protect from those weapons."

[@Kishanth.J]

One point that is not resting to me is that this is a good time for western militaries to see how their hardware works in a modern conflict. As well as off load older equipment as they modernize. Until recently, western countries have mostly fought in small scale conflicts against non state actors. Their militaries have been getting smaller and weaker as the thought of full scale war seemed to be obsolete. Now their modernizing and restructuring their armies with new equipment, leaving a lot of old stock.

[@moaistatue3057]

I’d personally say that sending modern western vehicles and weapons to Ukraine is as practical as it is political, I do think that the government wants to see how our tanks fair against Russian tanks, should the time ever come that the uk, america, or any other nato country has to go to war with Russia

[@Kishanth.J]

@@moaistatue3057 and with the data from their tanks performance in Ukraine, it can be used to improve newer design. Whether they work well or not in the war, it would give these countries an excuse to upgrade current tanks, but might actually push the third generation tanks out in favour of 4th gen tanks.

[@jgrenwod]

That idea has not been lost on Western arms designers.

[@loneronin7299]

It’s so hot it burned

[@zagartolagonda]

The majority of the fleet are not fielded by the army, they’re in secure storage facilities, should they be needed for operations. The figure the defence secretary was talking about refers to the number of platforms currently being used for training. For example, a regiment might only have one squadrons worth of platforms, and each squadron shares those vehicles by cycling through the annual training schedule. In addition, the training units also have a small number

[@Scaleyback317]

According to reports I've read the contractor left many of them out in the open with hatches open with no weather proofing whatsoever and many of them have rotted beyond repair. Sincerely hope that's wrong however.

[@jasegee]

​@@Scaleyback317 your wrong pal, that was the leapard 1tanks stationed nextdoor

[@Scaleyback317]

@@jasegee Might well be me being a mite dense here mate but I don't grasp what you're saying.

[@theotherside8258]

It was originally thought the Ukraine ones would come from storage and it was said it would take a year to getting them operational.

[@sammni]

I remember a British officer stating "our tanks are made for war not games". The Challenger 2 performed poorly in tank games in Canada the year before. It didn't perform poorly in real life combat. Infact it performed so well in Iraq none where lost to enemy combat

[@nonyabisness6306]

that doesn't really tell you much. afaik no Canadian Leo2's where lost either and leo's traditionally perform very well in war games. Not to mention...it's iraq. hardly a challenging environment for tank combat. truth is there isn't much difference in the western tanks, apart from the engine for the americans and the gun for the brittish.

[@stevenrodriguez763]

As far as I know, none of us lost a tank to any Middle East country. Us being nato and Friends.

[@gabrielc7861]

@Yeet actually we did lose some, to our own grunt's incompetence causing friendly fire and IEDs in Afghanistan.

[@wieslawmaciag2142]

@Gabriel C. The iony tanks in Afghanistan were taken by Holland and Denmark .And ALL returned with NO LOSSES

[@alganhar1]

@@nonyabisness6306 This is probably the most balanced, and in my opinion, correct assessment of Western Main Battletanks I have seen in a while. Each has their advantages and disadvantages, but each of them are capable and equally dangerous platforms.

[@TgamerBio5529]

The armour of the challenger is on a different level and ❤️ to see it be implemented in future tanks

[@fredblogs]

TGamer Boss. 🇬🇧 I helped make some of that armour which went out to Iraq where it was used. I hope that I helped to save some lives of my fellow countrymen. 🇬🇧

[@-lightningwill-6014]

Fun fact, the armor on British tanks has always actually been to protect the bivvy ( tea making machine ) placing crew safety second to the tea facilities

[@Zachary_McLaren]

Crew safety is just a side effect of tea safety.

[@lyndoncmp5751]

Sod the tea. I'd rather have a mini whisky distillery.

[@-lightningwill-6014]

@@lyndoncmp5751 that's fair

[@CJjohnston56]

A bivvy Is you sleep... a BV is what you cook in

[@Mr.Plankton.]

If the Tea is not ok Neither are the crew.

[@over415]

because its on fire?

[@hasanchoudhury5401]

Glad you covered the earl gray tea while packing all the fire power and fancy features. Regards.

[@Hellberch1]

I could see the Challenger 2 being used in a "Breakthrough" Roll with the limited number being sent. 14 of them deploy as a Unit, and use them as a Boar snout of a tank push with them breaking evenly left and right to make a gap for the more numerous T-72's to rush through and play merry hell in the enemy rear (similar to how cavalry (and Cavalry tanks where designed for) used to do

[@tesstickle7267]

It's safe to say Russians will retreat just seeing these monsters approaching. A challenger is a tank you don't want to see coming for you lol

[@Mortablunt]

The way Russia defenses work is they are flexible and designed to get progressively deadlier the deeper you push. This kind of simple thrust would work against the Ukrainians whose policy is to shove everything on the of contact, but the Russians have a bit more art than that. And if that armor thrust gets past the first line all the worst for it because now there’s an even larger list of means to kill it and it’s now surrounded by hostiles. You saw this during the fall offensive, particularly in Kherson, where Ukrainian forces could penetrate miles only to end up isolated and destroyed.

[@Mugdorna]

Or perhaps. Have the Challenger in hidden locations waiting for Russian tanks to come into the open and then pick them of from a distance.

[@TheInfamousMrFox]

@@Mortablunt "Russia defenses work is they are flexible and designed to get progressively deadlier the deeper you push" Tell that to Ukraine, who rolled back the orcs and liberated several thousand square km. Once they'd broken through the front line there was nobody there... "the Russians have a bit more art " Then why are they losing so badly? Why do their WW1 tactics seem laughably simplistic and crude compared to Ukraines? "the fall offensive, particularly in Kherson, where Ukrainian forces could penetrate miles only to end up isolated and destroyed." They didn't though, they liberated thousands of square km of territory and captured hundreds of orc vehicles, for very low losses.

[@kaneworsnop1007]

@@Mortablunt That's not quite how the Russian lines work. They don't have multiple lines fully manned, it is their fall back procedure to pre determined positions, which are only pre-made when the front line is static for long periods.

[@Howleye]

Because it was burned to a crisp by precision artillery 👌👌👌 Title aged like a champ 🤣🤣

[@rwd76]

Having been on exercise with them, every morning I got up there was at least one or two left at their harbour area, broken down. That was when they were manned by British crews, supported by the REME on Salisbury plain during a normal exercise. I do not get a warm glowing feeling about many of them lasting very long in Ukraine

[@fusilier9276]

The maintenance alone would be difficult for Ukraine to manage.

[@shaddaboop7998]

The Challenger 2 is widely considered to be the best protected western MBT. I imagine the ability to fire HESH will be very useful for the Ukrainians as the Russians seem to have become fond of concrete pillboxes over the past few months. And all the rifled gun naysayers don't seem to realise that, because the gun barrel is longer than usual for a tank, the APFSDS rounds it fires actually have similar penetration values to a smoothbore gun, with better accuracy. Only concern is just how thicc it is, 75 tonnes if it's the up-armoured variant we're sending (I assume it will be because it has better mine protection, something that is vital in Ukraine at the moment). That's very heavy, even for a tank, but I suppose it's that way because it's extremely well protected so hey, could be worse.

[@shaggings]

Not sure if the Challenger is the best protected anymore. SEP V3 and Leopard have similar war kits available to them making them about equal in survivability against chemical energy penetrators. which the challenger 2 is famous for, taking 70 hits from RPG's, which isn't that special.

[@Neion8]

@@shaggings Agreed to an extent; Dorchester armour was ahead of it's time when first developed but that was over 20 years ago. If peer nations with updated tanks don't have composites of at least similiar quality (because let's be real, it doesn't matter too much if a composite is x2 as effective as RHA or only x1.96 as effective as RHA) I'd be surprised. However, the Challenger 2 is nearly 10 long tons heavier than the Leopard 2A7, which could well translate into the Chally having better frontal armour or better overall armour - as not every tank-building nation/company is willing to sacrifice mobility/performance in international tank contests (and the lucrative export contracts that come with) for the possibility of needing to nullify a side/rear attack that could be prevented via other means such as infantry support or better detection capibilities. Still, combat doesn't always go to plan, which is why sometimes you need something like armour which won't fail you even after everything else has. I think it's also a good time to deploy them as Russia has already expended a great deal of their best infantry atgms on the T-series Ukrainian tanks, so the biggest threat to the challys is less likely to be at hand; had they been deployed earlier in the war they probably wouldn't have been much more survivable than T-72s since all tank armour is vulnerable to top-down attacks.

[@mandowarrior123]

​@@shaggings that's unfair comparison, the leopard is a much lighter armoured highly mobile tank. It isn't nearly as hardy.

[@rocket_sensha4337]

@@shaggings afaik most of those rpg shots were heavy explosive. It does not fare aswell When faced with more modern dedicated anti tank warheads

[@snowtfl5617]

@@shaggings abrams uses the same armour as the British which remains a closely guarded secret for the British and the leopard is good but still not as protective as the challenger

[@xuanhieulanpham904]

10 months, and now its BLAZING hot :))

[@ThaGreatChemist]

ffrfrfrfrfr

[@JohnMiller-wf6cm]

Just a couple of corrections. The MRS does not shoot a laser back at the sights, it is however, aligned with the sight and has a cross hair inside that is illuminated so as to be seen at night. The gunner then aligns the main gun sight with the MSR reticle. The miss alignment is a result of the gun tube heating up during firing. The MRS is then used to re-align the gun to the sight. Also, the track is not connected to the road wheels. The road wheels do however form a channel in between them so the center guides have a path to go through as they prevent the track from sliding off the tank. When a tank throws track this means the center guides have been pushed either to the outside, most often the case, or the inside of the road wheels causeing the track to jump off the front idler wheel or the sprocket as a result. Or causing the track to break at a section of track. I would say that when the Challenger slid into the ditch dirt was dug up by the track on the inside and pushed the track free to the outside and possibly breaking the track. The HESH round has no affect on composite armor, since it relies on a solid core to be able to cause shrapnel on the inside. I believe the other Challenger was shot in the engine compartment and thus making it useless to continue the battle. I'm an retired M1A2 tank commander if you are wondering about my knowledge.

[@audacity60]

At the moment, there is a debate in Whitehall, on raising the number of Challenger 3 conversions to perhaps 200-210. This is in a general debate about raising defence spending over the "special military operation" in Ukraine. Existing Challenger 2 have been ignored too long & are in a bad state. Some of the firms that made parts of it, have gone out of business, as the UK MoD did not have the cash to resupply. Also, only perhaps a third of Challenger 3 will get the Israeli Trophy protection system. Many in UK defence circles, think all C3 should get Trophy. Again, a budget issue.

[@dropsboms6153]

I agree about spending cuts and neglete of challenger 2 that being said C2 is STILL a beast of a tank compared to others around the world. Again riffled barrels are more accurate but being in NATO and thier prefeence for smoothbore it makes sense to follow suit. But then again thinking about it? When did we follow others thinking? Funny that you hit the nail on the head about military spending and MOD didnt/doesnt have the cash for resupply but we sending billions to Ukraine inc C2 tanks. As a patriot I love my country and the west but sometimes I think due to corruption, greed etc maybe JUST maybe WE maynot BE the GOOD guys!!!! GOD SAVE THE KING!!!!

[@Walterwaltraud]

Take Switzerland's well maintained 98 Leo2A4 reserves, hand over all Challengers and build C3 completely from scratch. No one will complain - you get rid of obsolete ammo, guarantee British jobs, the new ammo will be compatible anyway, and it's daring do.

[@factsdontcareaboutyourfeel7204]

Labour will put a stop to that ..

[@geordievillan]

@@factsdontcareaboutyourfeel7204 Put a stop to the under-spend on defence?

[@davidty2006]

hardkill APS is pretty much a requirement just to keep safe from missiles and drones.

[@drbudman8768]

If I remember correctly the challenge 2 is also responsible for the longest range tank kill in history also?

[@nockieboy]

Yes it is. Don't recall the exact range but think it was around 8kms. I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will correct me.

[@richardodonoghue]

indeed

[@alganhar1]

@@nockieboy Nope, it was a Challenger I, same gun but worse Fire control system. Actual range was 5.1 km, about 3 miles. Both vehicles were moving. There are rumours a Ukrainian T64BV knocked out a Russian tank at 10.6km, however that is as yet unconfirmed, and it is unknown as yet if either vehicle was moving if it did happen. Can't say whether that is true or false given the lack of actual information on the incident at this current time however.

[@zenko247]

@@alganhar1 That's strange as the maximum range of a T64 is 1800m (while stopped) as discovered in Desert Storm / Iraqi freedom😂

[@MarkFarrington-hb2ne]

So hot, it's been hit by heat rounds

[@HectorRoldan]

Would be awesome if we could develop Flying Drones that can take some of those rounds and different weapon deployments to address targets in exceedingly rapid ways to decimate enemies before they can adapt if the drones can also include close to hypersonic modes to reach behind lines to address ammo stockpiles and remove most projected tactics to demoralize the troops.

[@ExMachina70]

I couldn't imagine the US ever letting anything ever happen to the United Kingdom. We've been brothers in arms and as far as I'm concerned they're family.

[@EpiphanyMagnet]

That's how we British people feel about our American cousins.

[@williammills3184]

They, in turn, keep the slavering hordes of Canadia from invading us with their paramilitary hockey fans via advanced skating over the frozen Great Lakes each Winter.

[@jackthorton10]

Same to you Blighty keep up the stiff upper lip, we’re with ya’ll till the end :)

[@clarkeorchard2304]

Ditto my good chap

[@triGRIMM]

Yet they used to be the evil british empire that our forefathers died fighting against under intense tyranny. Crazy how everything changes. Used to be japan, not China. Russia has always been kind of a d*** tho

[@mattevans4377]

I love the use of the term 'temporarily'. They are 100% certain those tanks will return home at some point. That's how much protection these tanks have.

[@098765432qwertyuiop]

Yeah I'm sure they are invincible ! /s Can't wait for Chinese vs British tanks in eastern ukraine, 2023 is gonna be interesting.

[@tesstickle7267]

@@098765432qwertyuiop nothing is invincible. But challengers are closer to that achievement than any other tank!

[@davidty2006]

Here in britain temporary means atleast 40 years.

[@koskok2965]

They're in for a big shock then. I'm really interesting to see what kind of meltdown will befall upon the West when they start lighting up like firecrackers.

[@AWMJoeyjoejoe]

​@@098765432qwertyuiopYou're kidding yourself if you think the Chinese will supply tanks to Russia. Never going to happen.

[@herv7539]

It’s also got the longest tank on tank kill at 5,100m. Crazy considering the tank’s operation range is 1,200m, more than a third of that distance.

[@Greg-qz9dm]

When Challenger refuse to challege the front line. Keep hidding in bunker 😂 What they waiting for? until war is over? 😂 And abram too 😂

[@dalidaz72]

The challenger 2 main battle tank is a formidable monster on the battlefield it's just ashame us brits only have a handful 👍

[@j.robertsergertson4513]

YUP ,there gonna be all used up ,if you ever need them

[@jaypee389]

The U.S. will build you 5,000 if they ever need to. Don't worry. 😁

[@gamingrex2930]

@@yyy-875 Challenger 3 will be delayed by another 50 years due to "review and scrutiny" by "experts" who probably read wikipedia articles. The british airforce will literally have a drone army with 6th gen fighters by then and parliament will go "oh dear oh dear, looks like this tank is outdated yet again!" then promptly cancel it

[@user-cl4kc4st7z]

​@@yyy-875 according to what I heart previously - Challenger 3 is not a NEW tank, but modernization of existing ones. P.S. I am not relying at leopard 1 AT ALL, while t72 is also garbage So, maybe just start production of the next portion of military assistance.

[@morrisonreed1]

they can make more

[@AutoBob5434]

Love the humor. Thanks

[@bigbangbong69]

Great video, but the pictures of the two casualties you showed are incorrect. The photos you showed were actually of two crew killed in a training accident at Lulworth in 2016. A breech explosion killed the two crewmen. Cpl Matthew Hatfield was one of the best soldiers I ever got to work with. Keep up the good work!

[@AdmV0rl0n]

The in service number - and the number actually available tell a sad story. The rifled gun is actually IMHO a very good weapon. The issue is they have been short of shells for a long time, and the hankering around NATO shells is being driven (as the whole Army spend seems to be) around cost. IIRC there are an additional 77 in a war reserve - but the whole fleet is heavily worn and wear and tear are a problem with the fleet. In a full blown war, I expect the C2s to either be taken out, or reach a state of unservicable - in a short timeframe. They will be too few to change the war, but I'd say that if we ship them in relative good shape and can supply a logistics chain - the Ukraine might be able to use them as a hulk smash tool. The C2, and tanks in general - have a purpose in life. To specifically face off against Russian, or other forces when required. We are stuck in a no war, peace mindset. Kit can't be made to go on for ever, and it can't survive a warzone. Its not magic. Brutally, they need to smash 10x their resource and do it well, and if at the end of that they are done, they will have won their day. These are days of shame that a country who WE GUARANTEED in the budapest agreement has been fighting for its life and has been handed drips and drabs to keep it fighting, but not more. The UK originally had to fly in the original NLAW shipments AROUND Germany because the Germans blocked the flights. People speak as if handing handfuls of tanks or planes is a thing. In the US and elsewhere there are thousands of units sat in stocked locations. We have hundreds of aircraft that we will retire in the next few years that could go today. (Tranche1 Eurofighters RAF, F18s in Finland and more beyond.). The Russians have been stupid - but they do have one thing right. Ukraine cannot fight indefinately. It has limited economic and manpower ability to do this. It must be given the ability and kit to break Russia and win, nothing more or less. If the idea is to keep them afloat and just have an endless bloodbath, that has to be challenged at every level. People moot weapons of mass destruction - and a fear of what Russia will do. Funny that, because when Saddam was declared to have them, an international coalition was formed and a complete smack down took place. Kuwait was a country. Its boundaries were restored. Ukraine is fundamentally the same. And so is this fight.

[@Walterwaltraud]

Do you have a source concerning the blocked flights? That would actually really surprise me. What didn't surprise me was our useless, incompetent SecDef could not take Wallace's call on Feb 24th in the morning because she was at an appointment to get her nails done.

[@d.o.g573]

Even the Brits have to finally abandoned the rifled batike cannon…you will find a very nice 120mm Rheinmetall smooth bore on the Challenger 3 - made with pride in Germany 🇩🇪

[@pleaseignore3055]

@@d.o.g573 First you steal most of our car manufacturers and now our beloved rifling, is there no end to your cruelty Germany!? STOP MAKING OUR SHIT WORK, WE LIKE BEING WEIRD.

[@davidty2006]

@@d.o.g573 Gotta hop from 1 top gun to the next.. We made the L7 that litterally eveyone used germany made the L44 that litterally everyone will use.

[@d.o.g573]

@@pleaseignore3055 With German accent: we haf conkered you wiz our zuperior teknology - now schteam up that Death Star will you Franz ?!

[@samhaines8228]

is that a subliminal Cappy? (9:16) Jim Carrey still frame right after you say "...and not a single one has ever been lost to enemy fire."

[@ericp1139]

So hot, it’s on fire!

[@cattledog901]

The British aren't "on the fence" about replacing the rifled gun it's a stated part of the Challenger 3 program to install the L55A1 120mm smoothbore cannon for purposes of ammo commonality and increased performance.

[@bsastarfire250]

British like HESH , it works at long range . Commonality is relevant , but pros cons to be discussed.

[@zhufortheimpaler4041]

@@bsastarfire250 the thing is, the whole HESH "debate" is just a myth. The british army wanted the Rh120 L/44 smoothbore in 1980 but that was cut by thatcher. The briitish army wanted Leopard 2A4/A5 or M1A1 in 1989, again slashed by the iron maiden. Its not because the UK Army wanted to continue to use an outdated gun, but because their government handed them shit and they had to make due with it.

[@krackerman3628]

@@zhufortheimpaler4041 It was all about jobs and shareholder value for BAE - thats why we have two large and largely usless aircraft carriers.

[@zhufortheimpaler4041]

@@krackerman3628 yeah another example of british exceptionalism. Carriers only give you anything worhtwile, if you got the frigates and destroyers to protect them and enough aircraft to fully equip them. The UK does neither.

[@theSFCchannel]

Good comment: No need for rifled guns for HESH now, due to smart programmable ammunition. You are spot on though; the Challenger 3 will be smooth bore gun

[@NH-gw3vc]

Just a quick correction - the rifled barrel improves accuracy and distance but it forces the use of primarily HESH rounds rather than other AP rounds using shaped charges. This is because the rotation of the round actually spreads the hot jet of a shaped charge so that it's much less effective. The rifling wasn't chosen to "spread the explosive HESH head", rather the other way around.

[@ianmills9266]

The sabo it fires seems to work fine. The HESH round is because British tank doctrine is mostly infantry support and as such a HESH round is great for structural targets

[@benmorris460]

This tank is awesome! I saw three Scottish manned tanks take on 10 T54/55 out side Basrah, Iraq turn and then demolished a row of houses being used by the enemy. Then just drove off to another hot spot.

[@quicksesh]

Not sure if that was down to the tank or the Scottish men inside them as that sounds like an average Friday night in Sauchiehall st.

[@theTeknoViking]

@@quicksesh 😄

[@BlueZirnitra]

​@@quicksesh the Iraqis made a terrible mistake not cutting off Buckfast supply lines.

[@quicksesh]

@@BlueZirnitra lmao. Indeed yes.

[@onionman2117]

That will be the lesser seen deep-fired HESH round, The Iraqi T54's fucked around and found out.

[@simonrigg8391]

As a Brit I'm proud we have a tank like the Challenger. We should be sending ten times as many. Better them doing what they were built to do defending our allies than gathering dust in one of our military depots waiting to be sold off or scrapped .

[@aldosigmann419]

The globo banksters welcome your drooling servility and expect you'll make a fine serf.

[@igornovak6542]

What allies?

[@salmanwani8827]

you don't have that number lol

[@SuperCrow02]

Seriously like your tank fleet is basically already deleted, there's no reason not to give Ukraine what's left of it. If you really need them 200 isn't enough anyway and you'd have to get the production lines rolling again.

[@AdrianSams]

@@SuperCrow02 Can't afford it, the UK is fast becoming bankrupt, costing the taxpaying public £100 billion a year just to service our debts. Dire shortage of housing, Illegal migrants being given priority for housing over British people (whether they are black,white,yellow or Green) and Islam is given a free pass by all mainstream politicians.Massive problem with gangs of Muslim men raping white girls in the UK and the politicians do fuck all. The once proud forward thinking country ios but a shell now. The UK is fucked.

[@a1exander123]

I’ve worked on Challenger 2 for about 4 years so far and I can tell you it only has one BV (Boiling Vessel), not two.. the only vehicle I’ve seen with two is the Bulldog. Maybe that’s where the confusion came from..

[@peterwait641]

Hard to plug one cable into two Bv's lol

[@gregsmith1582]

It's coming from the one's in storage. The others over time will get turned into Challenger 3's which look like they will be amazing tanks.

[@capmultser]

For a country that Invented the Tank, Just glad we were the instigators of the movement to supply Ukraine with Tanks. Challenger 3 will be at the cutting edge of firepower and strength when it comes into service, as long as they don't let General Dynamics anywhere near it like the Ajax..

[@hiigara1]

You know, as a brit, I am not a fan of old rishi, but I will not argue that this was a good move just a bit later than I like

[@eccy269026]

The most impressive thing I find is the target acquisition software in the challenger , enabling it to laze multiple targets and prioritize each individually and then shoot automatically, so all the loader has to do is keep up with the computer.

[@glenwoofit]

The most important part of the Challenger 2 is it's kettles, you can't fight without a cup of tea.

[@thebrowns5337]

You can... but you shouldn't ever have too. And if you ever really have to, just savour that cuppa after anhiliating the enemy.

[@charlesunderwood6334]

Does the T90 have a vodka chiller?

[@antonleimbach648]

I could see the Challenger II and the Leopards being used as the can opener on the line and then other armored vehicles and infantry would pour through. Creating that first opening is right up these western tanks alley.

[@Mortablunt]

Russian flexible defense doctrine actually counts on attempting to make bypasses and breakthroughs. The first line of defense is infantry in small dug in positions. These aren’t very heavily armed but they have heavy artillery Support on standby. So an attacking force is going to want to try to get past them and out of the kill box as soon as possible. Welcome to the second one of defense which is quick response armor and air assets coming in from the flanks, and of course more artillery. So an attack and either slow down to engage these and get hit by the artillery or they can keep running and get blasted from the side. Welcome to the third line of defense which is an actual 45 trench line complete with even more assets and artillery. An attack can try to make it through obstacles and fortifications, but this time there is no way to bypass. So whether you wanna head long at fortifications which feature artillery kill zones air assets and heavy weapons plus fortified infantry or you can try to go back to where the armor is waiting for you where you can drive back out the front to where the artillery is still waiting and get shot by ATGM on your retreat. Russian defenses are far more clever than the simple Ukrainian approach of cramming everything on the front mine.

[@Angry-Lynx]

Why theres so much armchair generals here omfg it hurts my brain 🙄

[@christianmarriott3696]

Exactly this, I think Challengers will be used to punch a hole and then the Bradley will pour through.

[@christianmarriott3696]

We have proven time and again that Britain and America are unstoppable when we work together, lets just hope the Ukrainians can use our equipment to the same effect.

[@furtivedig]

​@@Mortablunt what ever happened to all these defence lines during the Ukrainian counteroffensive last September?

[@daverobinson3499]

Dorchester and Chobham are different armour packs challenger 2 only had 2nd generation Chobham in the early days it was changed to Dorchester just befor the Oman deployment in September 2001. Now it uses a 4th version of Dorchester with the add on armour on its 5th or 6th generation of Dorchester Difference between Dorchester and Chobham is the same as the difference between the armour used on the m1a1 and the m1a2sepv2

[@metempsychosis696]

It sure is hot right now...Russians made sure of that.

[@jackburton9035]

There are about 450 challenger 2 built. 200 are in complete storage. The rest are either in active service or on standby in a readiness state. Providing 14 wont impact the British army's effectiveness.

[@MichaelLaing71]

For future reference, Chob in Chobham rhymes with job. One of my scout leaders back in the 80's worked at MVEE, where they did much of the testing for the Challenger and of course where the Chobham armour was designed. Apparently one days a Challenger 1 was driving through the car park and the resonance of the engine caused a Mercedes windscreen to explode. So he had to do lots of testing to see if this was going to be a regular thing with the tank driving past cars.

[@stephendliddle]

I was thinking the same (i live near both Chobham and Cobham) but just in case, a Clarification: rhymes with job as in a paid professional engagement, not as in Job the biblical figure.

[@billhanna2148]

I've bitched about his TERRIBLE pronunciations many times and it seems it's deliberate and extremely CRINGY 🤬

[@fallinginthed33p]

@@stephendliddle More like Chob-em then, with chob pronounced as "job"?

[@kaneworsnop1007]

@@fallinginthed33p Chob-um actually if we're going to be pedantic 😂

[@snakeboy256]

Finally someone is actually talking about the challenger 2!