“The Challenger 3 program will deliver the best tank in NATO … and deliver a network enabled, digital main battle tank, providing the soldier with a step changing capability, » said Rory Breen, strategy and future business director at RBSL.
The German-UK joint venture Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) has shared imagery of a first British Army Challenger 3 Main Battle Tank (MBT) prototype, after completing the build of the new vehicle at its Telford, England, production facility.
The first public images of the prototype were released today at the IQPC International Armoured Vehicles conference in London, with the vehicle expected to begin trials shortly. A total of 18 months of trials, split between sites in the UK and Germany, are planned before a systems qualification review next year. Eight prototypes are due to be developed.
“The Challenger 3 program will deliver the best tank in NATO … and deliver a network enabled, digital main battle tank, providing the soldier with a step-changing capability, ensuring a 21st century deterrence through to the out of service date [slated for 2040],” said Rory Breen, strategy and future business director at RBSL. “The first prototype … will begin trials in the coming weeks.”
The main purpose of the trial, set to be uncrewed, is to “allow us to confirm the system is safe for [subsequent] crew trials,” added Breen.
