What to download challenger 1. Challenger is a British Tier VII tank destroyer. Equipment for Challenger

The promising Anglo-West German tank MBT-80/Kpz-80, work on which had been underway since 1972, was called upon to replace the Chieftain tanks. The program was canceled in 1977 due to disagreements between tank builders and the militaries of both countries. The question of the British main battle tank of the 80s remains open. In 1978-1979 The development of the national tank MVT-80 was carried out using the groundwork developed within the framework of the Anglo-German program. The problem was finally resolved in the most unexpected way in 1979. when the refusal of the new Iranian government to order Shir-2 tanks added headaches to the British. A large amount of money was pumped into the FV 4030/3 project, time was spent, and seven experimental tanks were built.

After significant hesitation, the British made a compromise decision: to continue the evolutionary development of the FV 4030 project, taking the Shir-2 tank as a basis, but to replace only the Chieftains with new tanks. in service with the British Army of the Rhine. In 1980, a contract was signed for the supply of 225 tanks. To test new solutions and test them, seven Shir-2 prototypes were converted, receiving the new designation FV 4030/4 and their own name “Challenger” (“Challenger”). The design of the vehicle was carried out by designers from the Technical Directorate of Military Vehicles and Equipment (MVEE) and specialists from the State Tank Plant. Just like when designing the Chieftain. One of the most critical was the problem of mass. The General Staff specification limited the mass of the promising tank to 54.8 tons (the mass of the Chieftain Mk.5 tank), however, even during the development of the MVT-80 project, British experts came to the conclusion that it was impossible to enhance armor protection provided that the mass of the new tank was kept at the level mass of "Chieftain" Mk.5.

The weight had to be increased to 60-62 tons, in this case it became possible to strengthen the armor of the frontal part of the hull and turret, as well as the sides. MVEE engineers, as a justification for the possibility of increasing mass, put forward the thesis that there is an insignificant difference between 50- and 60-ton tanks. So, with equal specific power and ground pressure, mobility, average speed, throttle response and maneuverability will be approximately the same. One of the criteria limiting the mass of a tank is the load capacity of road bridges. The British carried out an analysis of the distribution of engineering structures in the European theater of operations that limit the mobility of tanks; It turned out that most bridges are designed for a load of 20 tons, that is, they will fail with equal success under both a 50-ton tank and a tank weighing 60 tons, and bridges with a load capacity of 50 and 60 tons are “spread” approximately evenly across Europe. As a result of this kind of research and analysis, it was possible to convince the military to raise the upper weight limit to the required 60-62 tons. The tanks were tested at Bovington; During them, seven cars drove more than 100,000 km. Their maintainability and reliability, electromagnetic compatibility of radio equipment were checked. At the final stage in October 1982, the participation of vehicles in four-day continuous combat operations was simulated. The military was satisfied, and in December 1982, the British Army's Challenger tank program manager, Colonel Murray-Brown, signed the test completion certificate.

Serial production began in 1983, with the Royal Hussars being the first to receive the new tanks. Until 1988, 420 Challenger tanks were built. entered service only with the British Army. The tank is designed according to a classic design. The tank's hull is completely welded and made of Chobham combined armor. It lacks the cast parts found in the hull design of the Chieftain tank. The bottom of the hull is V-shaped to reduce the effects of detonation of anti-tank mines. At the front of the case there is a control compartment. The driver's seat is located along the axis of the tank: the same as on the Chieftain. in a combat position, the driver takes a reclining position. The rotation is controlled using the steering wheel. To monitor the terrain, a wide-angle periscope device is used, which can easily be replaced with an infrared non-illuminated night vision device. The fighting compartment and turret occupy the middle part of the tank. The welded turret is equipped with a 120 mm L11A5 rifled gun.

Compared to a similar gun on the Chieftain tank. The Challenger's gun has a shorter barrel. The shorter barrel makes it easier to stabilize the gun while moving. The use of new steel in the design of the modernized gun, obtained by electroslag remelting, the maximum pressure in the barrel bore from 610 to 630 MPa (6200 - 6400 kgf/cm2) and, despite the reduced barrel length, the initial velocity of the projectile remained the same. The gun's breech has undergone changes to improve sealing. Ammunition consisting of 64 rounds of separate loading is located in the control compartment and in the fighting compartment. A typical variant is considered to be 34 armor-piercing sub-caliber shells, 15 armor-piercing high-explosive and five smoke shells. The ammunition is stored in armored containers surrounded by a jacket with a special liquid, which reduces the likelihood of fire and detonation of ammunition. All powder charges are located below the turret ring. Gun pointing angles in the vertical plane range from -10° to +20°.

The drives for pointing the gun in the vertical plane and turning the turret are electric, emergency drives are mechanical. The turret rotation speed varies from 0.01 to 24 degrees/s, the gun pointing speed in the vertical plane varies from 0.01 to 6 degrees/s. The gun is stabilized in two planes. To the left of the gun is a 7.62MM L8A2 machine gun, coaxial with a cannon; ammunition for the machine gun - 4000 rounds. To the right of the gun are the commander's and gunner's workstations, and to the left is the loader's. The fire control system has undergone minor changes compared to the fire control system of the Shir-1 tank. It includes a gunner's sight with an integrated laser rangefinder, an electronic ballistic computer and a gun stabilizer. The ballistic computer generates data for firing, taking into account the range to the target, the angular velocity of the target, the roll angle of the tank's gun trunnions, wind speed, atmospheric pressure and air temperature. The gunner uses a 10x Barr & Strood TLS No. 10 Mk periscope sight as the main sight. 1, which has a built-in laser rangefinder. The laser emitter of the rangefinder uses ytrium-aluminum garnet instead of the ruby ​​used in the rangefinder of the Chieftain tank. Auxiliary sight - telescopic, Vickers Instruments, AFV No. 80 Mk.l with sevenfold magnification.

The sight is adjusted using a collimator and a reflective mirror mounted on the gun barrel near the muzzle. To conduct combat operations at night, the Barr & Strood TOGS (Thermal Observation and Gunnery Sistem) thermal imaging sight is used. The commander has an Avimo AFV No. 37 Mk.5 periscope sight, which has 1- and 10-fold magnification. The line of sight of the sight is stabilized. Along the perimeter of the commander's hatch there are eight periscope observation devices Helio Mirror AFV No. 40 Mk.2, giving a total all-round field of view. The commander's sight is connected via an optical channel to the gunner's sight and the TOGS system video control device, which allows the commander to fire using a laser range finder and thermal imager. The loader has one rotating periscopic observation device. All optical devices of the tank have anti-icing devices and dirt removal systems. A remote-controlled 7.62-mm L-37A2 machine gun with guidance angles in the vertical plane from -10° to +75° is mounted on the commander's cupola. The tank commander fires from an anti-aircraft machine gun. Both the gunner and the commander can fire from a cannon and a coaxial machine gun. In front of the turret, five smoke grenade launchers are installed on the sides. The aft part of the hull is occupied by the engine and transmission compartment. The engine-transmission unit is made in the form of a single unit and is located longitudinally to the axis of the tank.

The block weighs 5.49 tons and requires 45 minutes to replace it in the field. The main engine is a 12-cylinder V-shaped four-stroke diesel engine 12 V-1200 “Condor” with a power of 1200 hp. With. Perkins company. The diesel engine is turbocharged. To the left of the main engine is an auxiliary diesel engine H30 from Coventry Clymex with a power of 37 hp. pp., used to drive an electric generator. starting the main diesel engine, charging and warming up the batteries. Both engines have a common liquid cooling system, which ensures reliable operation of the engines at an ambient temperature of +52°C. The Challenger tank was the first in English tank construction to use the TN-37 automatic hydromechanical transmission with a hydrostatic transmission in the rotation mechanism drive. The transmission was developed by David Brown. The planetary gearbox provides four forward gears and three reverse gears. The hydrostatic transmission allows you to smoothly adjust the turning radius throughout the entire range, which has improved handling compared to the Chieftain. in which the driver had to periodically act on the friction elements, which led to a sharp change in the angle of rotation of the tank and its angular speed. It was planned to install more powerful 12V-1500 diesel engines (1,500 hp power) on production Challenger tanks, but these plans were not implemented. Protected fuel tanks made of synthetic rubber with a wall thickness of 11.5 mm are installed on the sides of the engine-transmission unit. The total capacity of the tanks is 1592 l.

To power electrical and radio equipment, two electric generators (driven by the main and auxiliary diesel engines) and four rechargeable batteries with a capacity of 100 Ah are used. The chassis of the Challenger tank is very different from the suspension of the Chieftain tank. Instead of a spring-balance suspension, a non-adjustable piston hydropneumatic suspension is used, developed by specialists from MVEE and private companies Dunlop and Laser Engineering. The suspension provides a dynamic roller travel of 340 mm (for the Chieftain tank - 159 mm, for the Shir-I tank - 250 mm). There are six support and four support rollers installed on each side. The track rollers are rubber-coated, with aluminum disks and steel hubs. The track has open metal hinges; the tracks have removable rubber pads. The chassis is covered with four-section screens installed on each side. The tank is equipped with a simplex telephone radio station VK/ VRC -353 VHF range. There is a system of protection against weapons of mass destruction, located in an isolated compartment at the rear of the tower. An automatic fire extinguishing system is installed.

COMBAT USE

Challenger tanks from the 1st Armored Division under the command of Major General Rupert Smith (which included the 4th Heavy Infantry and 7th Heavy Armored Brigades) took part in Operation Desert Storm in 1991. The 7th Brigade included two four-squadron regiments armed with Challenger tanks and an infantry fighting vehicle battalion. The 4th Brigade had two infantry fighting vehicle battalions and a three-squadron tank regiment on Challengers. The brigades were transferred to Saudi Arabia from Germany. The tankers struck on the right flank of the American 7th Corps along the Kuwait-Iraq border.

Information published in the Western press about the participation of British tanks in this operation is quite contradictory. According to some data, the vehicles and crews deserved the highest praise, the combat readiness of the equipment reached 95%, and the tankers took revenge for the disastrous performance at the Canadian Trophy - 97 and demonstrated sniper shooting accuracy. At the same time, according to the International Defense Review magazine (No. 9, 1992), most of the Challengers were disabled during the five days of the blitzkrieg. The tanks turned out to be completely unsuitable for combat operations in the desert. According to the British, the crews of 157 Challenger tanks destroyed about 300 Iraqi tanks, losing only one of their vehicles.

TRAINING TANK CHALLENGER-1

The first of 17 Challenger training tanks arrived at the Bovington test center in November 1989. The tank is a regular Challenger, which has a non-rotating two-seater (intended for instructor and cadet) cockpit instead of a turret. In 1990, the remaining 16 training tanks were transferred to the British Army. Oman purchased two vehicles as part of a contract for the supply of 18 Challenger 2 tanks.

BREM BASED ON THE CHALLENGER-1 TANK

In 1985, the British Ministry of Defense signed a contract with Vickers Defense Systems for the supply of 30 ARVs based on the Challenger tank; In total, 74 armored repair and recovery vehicles were delivered to the British army. Four ARVs were purchased by the Omani armed forces. The first of six pre-production vehicles was manufactured at the company's plant in Newcastle in the summer of 1987. The ARV has a chassis, lower hull, engine and a number of other systems and assemblies similar to the Challenger tank. The crew of the ARV is three people: commander, driver, radio operator, it is possible to transport two more people. The driver's workplace is located in the front part of the hull to the left of the machine axis; a hydraulic winch is installed to the right of it. There is a periscope observation device in the driver's hatch. The commander's seat is located behind the driver's seat. A rotating commander's cupola is installed on the roof of the hull. A remote-controlled 7.62 mm machine gun, day (with 1- and 10-fold magnification) and night (with 1- and 6-fold magnification) sights, as well as nine fixed observation devices are mounted on the turret. The engine and transmission compartment is located in the rear of the ARV and is separated from the fighting compartment by a fire partition.

The main and auxiliary engines are the same as on the Challenger tank. The transmission is a David Brown TN-54, which is an improved version of the TN-37 transmission. The TN-54 transmission has six forward and two reverse gears. There are 12 smoke grenade launchers installed in the front part of the hull and 8 smoke grenade launchers in the rear part. The ARV has two hydraulic winches - the main one (length of 9 mm steel cable is 150 m) and auxiliary (length of 9 mm steel cable is 300 m) with a traction force of 510 and 15 kN, respectively. A hydraulic crane with a telescopic boom is mounted on the roof of the building on the left side. The crane is designed to lift the engine-transmission unit of the Challenger tank and has a circular rotation. A hydraulic bulldozer blade is mounted in the front of the ARV. In addition to replacing and transporting power units of main battle tanks, the ARV equipment allows for welding work; the vehicle has a powerful air compressor and a set of tools and spare parts for repairing tanks in the field. The ARV is capable of towing vehicles weighing up to 68 tons at a speed of 30 km/h. The vehicle has a system of protection against weapons of mass destruction.

A total of 420 units were produced. By the end of the 1990s, it was replaced in the British Army by Challenger 2 tanks, and the withdrawn vehicles were sold to Jordan. In comparative shooting against Abrams and Leopard, the tank showed on average low capabilities, after which it stopped participating in such events.

Combat use

Tanks of this type were used by British forces during the Gulf War. The tanks turned out to be completely unsuitable for combat operations in the desert. Before the Gulf War began, only 22% of Challenger 1s were operational due to disruptions and a lack of spare parts. There were no combat losses (possibly 1 vehicle). About 300 Iraqi tanks were destroyed by Challengers in battles. The engine-transmission unit is made in the form of a single unit and is located longitudinally to the axis of the tank. The block weighs 5.49 tons and requires 45 minutes to replace it in the field. The main engine is a 12-cylinder V-shaped four-stroke diesel engine with turbocharging V-1200 “Condor” with a power of 1200 hp. Perkins company. On the left is an auxiliary diesel engine H30 from Coventry Clymex with a power of 37 hp. (for driving an electric generator, starting the main diesel engine, recharging and warming up batteries). Both engines have a common liquid cooling system, which ensures reliable operation of the engines at an ambient temperature of +52°C. which is not uncommon in desert conditions.

Cars based on the Challenger

In service

Was in service

In service

In popular culture

Bench modeling

Prefabricated plastic models of the Challenger tank of various modifications on a scale of 1:35 are produced by Tamiya (Japan) in two modifications: a desert version and a version for Europe.

Prefabricated models in 1:72 scale are produced by Revell (Germany) with variants of vehicles for the 1988 Iron Hammer exercise, as well as for the operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (IFOR)

Gaming industry

Armored Warfare in the form of Tier 7 MBT.

Challenger 1 is presented in the game War Thunder, located on the 6th era in the research branch.

The FV4030/4 tank appeared in Ground War Tanks as the main prize received in the gold reserve.

The Challenger 1 tank has been featured in the multiplayer arcade shooter "Tanktastic" since 2013, released for the Android and IOS platforms.

Presented in the mobile tank simulator on Android "Wild Tanks" as two versions: Challenger 2 ST level 10, Challenger TT level 9 tanks of the Western block.

Challenger 1 is presented in the game Wargame (all 3 parts) in the form of MBT of NATO troops

Tank Challenger 1 and Challenger 2 are presented in the multiplayer, tank, arcade shooter Tanktastic, released for Android and IOS platforms

See also

Literature

• N. Kovalev. English tank "Challenger" // "Foreign Military Review", No. 3, 1981, p. 76
• A. Lukyanov. English tank "Challenger-1" // "Foreign Military Review", No. 3 (635), 2000. p. 28
• M. Baryatinsky. Medium and main tanks of foreign countries 1945-2000 (Part 1). - M.: Bronekollektsiya, issue No. 3, 2001
• N.L. Volkovsky "Modern military equipment. Ground forces." Publishing house "Polygon". 2006. p.6

21-12-2016, 02:05

Good day and welcome to the site! Tankers, today we have on our agenda a strange, and in the opinion of most players, a rather mediocre British-made vehicle, we are talking about a level seven tank destroyer - this Challenger guide.

At first glance at this device, you begin to suspect some kind of trick; the British woman looks like a “specific cactus”, but upon closer examination Challenger performance characteristics several unpleasant nuances are noticed at once, but first things first.

TTX Challenger

To begin with, it is worth saying that our self-propelled gun has far from the smallest, but quite modest margin of safety, as well as a good basic visibility with a range of 370 meters.

From the point of view of survivability, this device is also very weak, to begin with, it has Challenger specifications reservations are very scarce. The hull pliably absorbs damage from all enemies encountered in battle, the tower is even softer, so there is nothing to say here. No matter how you tighten the body, it will not help, so under no circumstances rely on the armor.

I would like to say that Tank destroyer Challenger WoT compensates for the lack of armor with phenomenal accuracy, but that would be a lie. This car has a tall silhouette, so camouflage is far from the best.

However British Challenger tank designed on the basis of the sixth level Cromwell ST, thanks to which our self-propelled gun has excellent mobility. We can boast of a good maximum speed, excellent dynamics, and even the maneuverability here is very decent.

gun

Now let's turn our attention to the armament of this British woman, but don't get your hopes up too much; the gun can hardly be called powerful or truly comfortable.

Let's start with the fact that Challenger gun has a very small alpha strike, for some this moment will be critical, but you shouldn’t despair too much, the excellent rate of fire allows you to deal about 2300 damage per minute, which is very good.

The real downside is that the gun has weak armor-piercing qualities. Fan at the top of the list Challenger World of Tanks capable of very effective, there will be practically no problems, but equipment of levels 8 and 9 penetrates much worse, so it is better to carry 20%-30% of gold ammo with you.

As for the accuracy and comfort of dealing damage, there are no complaints here. Challenger tank got a very compact dispersion circle, excellent aiming speed, only the stabilization is weak, but we are talking about a self-propelled gun. In addition, our barrel lowers by 10 degrees and rises by 20, everything is fine.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Based on all of the above, it turns out that the car in our hands seems to be quite good, but it’s impossible to call it really strong. A sort of average course that many will pass and forget, however, it’s still worth knowing what Challenger World of Tanks there are strengths and weaknesses.
Pros:
Good review;
Excellent mobility;
The presence of a rotating tower;
Very worthy DPM;
Good accuracy;
Comfortable vertical aiming angles.
Cons:
Cardboard armor;
High silhouette;
The tower turns very slowly;
Weak alphastrike;
Mediocre penetration by an armor-piercing projectile.

Equipment for Challenger

In order for battles on this device to be more comfortable, you have a chance to cause as much damage as possible and benefit your team, it is important to choose the right additional modules, improving your strengths. For challenger equipment It’s not too difficult to choose:
1. – the choice is necessary at all times, as it will significantly increase your already good DPM.
2. – we already have a decent review on our side, and this module will make it even more enjoyable, especially in combination with some perks.
3. – will give the self-propelled gun all the necessary bonuses, that is, rate of fire, aiming speed and will improve the visibility a little more.

As such, there is no alternative to the three points stated above, however, for those who prefer a passive style of play, the second and third modules can be changed to and respectively. Thanks to such preferences, you can easily increase your viewing range to the maximum, and improve your rather weak camouflage.

Crew training

The choice of skills and the sequence of their study will always be a more serious nuance, especially in our case, when the composition of the crew of five people is not entirely ordinary. However, priorities are set quite standardly, so Challenger perks Let's explore the following:
Commander - , , , .
Gunner – , , , .
Driver - , , , .
Loader – , , , .
Loader (radio operator) – , , , .

Challenger Gear

But in terms of purchasing consumables, no problems are foreseen; in order to save money, you can very successfully fight with a standard set of, and. If you don’t need to save money, but you want maximum comfort in battle, then Challenger gear It’s better to carry it in the form of , , . Don't forget that our tank rarely burns.

Tactics for playing Challenger

Due to its large silhouette, lack of armor and powerful alpha strike, our self-propelled gun can rightfully be considered the so-called “red line vehicle”.

What does it mean? It's simple - for Challenger tactics combat consists of maximizing distance from enemy forces and shooting damage from long distances. As you know, we have a fairly accurate weapon and a high rate of fire for this.

However, it is worth considering that Tank destroyer Challenger World of Tanks does not have the best penetration parameters. In view of this feature, at the top of the list you will be able to fight more than comfortably; you can penetrate the enemy even at a distance of 300-400 meters.

At the bottom of the list the situation changes, targeting weak spots at long distances is difficult, so Challenger WoT I'll have to shoot gold more often. In addition, our ammunition supply is not very large and when fighting against levels 8-9 we may run out of ammo, so shoot wisely.

Otherwise, despite such rather passive tactics, active actions are not alien to our Britons. Thanks to excellent mobility Challenger tank can occupy advantageous positions among the first, quickly change flanks, and, if necessary, even provide illumination to its allies. Remember only about weak armor and a small margin of safety.

Challenger is a British Tier 7 tank destroyer, created on the basis of the Cromwell medium tank, which determines some similarity with the gameplay of medium tanks. The tank is armed with a good weapon, is mobile and has a turret.

Armament

QF 17-pdr AT Gun Mk.II	QF 17-pdr AT Gun Mk.VII

Review

Challenger is the latest British tank destroyer to be fitted with a 17-pounder gun at the top. And it is on Challenger that its penetration of 171 mm is often no longer enough even against level 7 vehicles. And if you fire only with basic shells (i.e. without gold at all), then you are guaranteed frequent failures to penetrate.

On the other hand, sub-caliber shells with an inexplicable penetration of 239 mm solve almost all problems. Most of all, oddly enough, Challenger resembles the E-25 in its play style - just as nimble, fast-firing and glass, and now also with a turret. But no one introduced a preferential level of fighting for him.

Advantages

• Excellent dynamics and maneuverability
• Accurate, fast-firing and comfortable weapon
• Rotating tower
• Large gun declination angles
• Good stabilization when shooting on the move

Flaws

• Large dimensions
• Relatively small ammunition load
• Slow turret rotation speed
• Bad disguise
• A short review
• Almost no reservations

Specifications

Reservations:
Housing – 88/50/38
Tower – 101/40/40 drain
– 50/40/200 top
Strength 840..900
Chassis rotation speed – 26..30 degrees/sec.
The turret rotation speed is 14..16 degrees/sec.
Vertical guidance angles +20..-10°
Maximum speed +52..-20 km/h
Engine power – 600..650hp.
Weight – 28.29 tons.
Specific power – 22.97 hp/t.
Viewing range – 360..370 m
Communication range – 450..700m
Crew: 5 people

Booking

Bottom line

The machine has a set of balanced characteristics, it is generally comfortable to play on, so it can be used depending on the individual preferences of the player. While not having high one-time damage, the vehicle nevertheless has very good damage per minute and gun parameters that allow it to comfortably inflict this damage.

The gameplay is very similar to the previous tank: constantly moving around the map together with allies, concentrating damage, distracting the enemy and intelligently implementing the strengths of the vehicle. Vertical aiming angles (gun declination) make it possible to effectively use terrain folds when firing.

Historical background

Having experimented a lot with the overseas Shermans, the British designers decided to build themselves a medium tank with a more or less acceptable weapon, in the form of a 17-pounder gun. Their choice fell on the brand new Cromwell, which, although it was quite a good medium tank, was rather late, and was in no way capable of fighting against the Panthers and Tigers.

The result of this research was the Challenger cruiser tank. After rummaging around in the warehouse, the designers found an unregistered turret from the TOG-2* and happily stuck a 17-pounder into it, and then bolted it all onto the Cromwell chassis. True, the chassis, due to the additional load, had to be lengthened (apparently the TOG-2 stood before my eyes as if alive).

After driving the new tank for some time, the British decided to repurpose it into a tank destroyer and changed its turret (leaving the original gun). The new turret turned out to be less armored, more spacious and with an open top. All this disgrace was pathetically called the Avenger and sent to the front. However, while they were driving the front ended, but that’s another story...