Challenger 2 tanks: Ukraine's armored ace in Kursk standoff
The Ukrainians from the 82nd Airborne Assault Brigade fighting in the Kursk region are using one of the most well-armored tanks in the world. Here’s how the Challenger 2 tanks, which were considered indestructible until recently, are performing on the front lines.
In the Kursk region, Ukrainians utilize Challenger 2 tanks supplied by the United Kingdom. These are powerfully armored and precise tanks, which, despite some issues, pose a significant threat to the Russians. The Russians have destroyed two tanks out of at least 14 that Ukraine received.
The following material, produced by United24, a few months ago judging by the light snow, is likely from the end of November or early December 2024. The Ukrainian crew praises their Challenger 2 tank highly.
They claim that even at a distance of three miles, the electronics ensure hitting the target, and the frontal turret armor even survived a hit from an anti-tank guided missile fired from an attack helicopter. Essentially, the only downside is inferior mobility compared to lighter machines.
The Ukrainians speaking about the battles in the Kursk region
Challenger 2 tanks - the pinnacle of British armored thought
The Challenger 2 tank was developed as an advanced evolution of its predecessor, the Challenger 1. Its distinctive feature is the use of advanced Chobham/Dorchester second-generation armor.
Thanks to this armor technology, the tank gains significant protection against shaped charges and provides high resistance to kinetic penetrators. The result is a construction weighing over 66 tons, including the additional armor kit.
A defining feature of the Challenger 2 is its highly accurate L30A1 gun of 120 mm caliber with rifling of 55 calibers in length. The gun uses separate loading ammunition with separate components, distinguishing it from the integrated ammunition common in NATO tanks using smoothbore guns.
British engineers chose this solution to enable the use of specific HESH rounds. Thanks to their unique mode of action, these rounds can effectively neutralize fortifications and armored targets without needing to penetrate the armor. The HESH rounds work by flattening against the enemy's armor and then detonating.
This causes internal stresses that generate small fragments on its inner side, which can seriously injure the crew if there's no internal anti-spall lining. Nevertheless, the CHARM 3 type APFSDS penetrators made of depleted uranium remain the main type of anti-tank weapon for the Challenger 2.
The Challenger 2 is powered by a robust diesel engine with a 1200 horsepower rating. Although it is slightly weaker than the engines in Leopard 2 or M1A1 Abrams tanks, it provides sufficient mobility on dry or icy ground. The situation worsened during spring and fall when Ukrainian mud defeated numerous Challenger 2 crews.
