Weighing 64 tons, the Challenger 2 is one of the heaviest main battle tanks around, but it still has a lot of speed despite the bulk. Most of the weight is down to the tank’s heavy armor plating. Flat out, Britain’s main battle tank will do 37 mph. This is noticeably slower than the likes of the Leopard 2 and M1 Abrams, but still fairly fast considering the vehicle’s weight. The tanks that are upgraded to Challenger 3s over the next few years will receive a new engine which should up the speed to some degree.
With its fuel tanks full, the Challenger 2 has an effective operational range of 340 miles — though that drops if the tank is operating off-road. The main gun is a 120mm L30A1 designed primarily as an anti-tank weapon. The L30A1’s barrel is also rifled, though there is a lot of debate about how much of an advantage that provides in a tank. Given that the Challenger 3’s main gun will be smoothbore, the rifling probably wasn’t worth the effort. The gun also has sights on the barrel, which is pretty unique to the Challenger 2.
Despite its thick armor, the Challenger 2 does have one pretty significant weakness: it’s one of the few modern tanks with external fuel tanks. The fuel tanks are attached to the rear of the vehicle, and theoretically vulnerable to attack. Maintenance may be another issue, with the Challenger requiring two tool kits as the hull is built with imperial measurements and fittings while the turret is built using the metric system.
