Challenger

Challenger

Tank <Challenger> though refers to the third post-war generation, is the evolution of design <Chieftain> – the second generation of the tank. Line of tanks <Chieftain> – <Challenger> illustrates konstruktorsky conservative British and their special way in the global tank manufacturing with emphasis on firepower and protection at the expense of mobility.

Replace tanks <Chieftain> was called forward-looking Anglo-West Tank MBT-80/Kpz-80, work which took place in 1972. The program was canceled in 1977 because of disagreements between the tank builders and the military of both countries. The issue of the British main battle tank, the 80-ies remained open. In 1978-1979. conducted to develop a national MBT-80 tank with backlog, accumulated in the Anglo-Germanic program. Eventually the problem was resolved in unexpected ways in 1979. when the refusal of the new Iranian government from ordering the tanks <W-2 “by the British headache. The project FV 4030 / 3 was vkacheno large amount of money, wasted time, built seven experimental tanks. After considerable hesitation the British adopted a compromise solution: to continue the evolutionary development of the project FV 4030, based on tank <W-2>, but replace with new tanks only <Chieftain>. composed by the British Army of the Rhine.

In 1980 he signed a contract to supply 225 tanks. For developing new solutions and testing were converted seven prototypes <W-2>, obtaining a new designation FV 4030 / 4 and your own name <Challenger> (<defies>). Design of the machine doing the designers of the Technical Administration of military vehicles and equipment (MVEE) and specialists of the State Tank Plant. As the design <Chieftain>. one of the most critical problem was the weight. Specification of the General Staff has limited weight in the long-term value of the tank 54,8 m (mass of the tank <Chieftain> Mk.5), but even in the elaborations of the draft MW-80 British experts came to the conclusion that the impossibility of strengthening body armor, while retaining the mass of the new tank at the level of mass <Chieftain> Mk.5. Massu had to be increased to 60-62 tons, in this case appeared to increase booking frontal hull and turret, as well as the boards.

Engineers MVEE as justification for a possible increase of the launched the thesis of a small difference between the 50 – and 60-ton tanks. Thus, at equal power density and pressure on the soil mobility, average speed, acceleration and cross-country will be roughly the same. One of the criteria that limit the mass of the tank, is a load of road bridges. The British carried out an analysis of distribution in the European theater of engineering structures that restrict the mobility of tanks, it turned out that most of the bridges designed for a load of 20 tons, that is, they fail with the same success and a 50-ton tank, and a tank weighing 60 tons, and carrying capacity of bridges 50 and 60 T “blurred> on the territory of Europe about evenly. As a result of this kind of research and analysis succeeded in persuading the military to raise the bar of the upper limit on the mass to the required 60 – 62t.

Test tanks were in Bovington, during which seven cars on short visits over 100.000 km. Checked their maintainability and reliability, electromagnetic compatibility of radio equipment. At the final stage in October 1982 was simulated vehicles involved in chetyrehsutochnyh continuous fighting. The military have been met, and in December 1982 the program manager of the tank <Challenger> by the British Army, Colonel Murray-Brown has signed a certificate of completion of tests.

Series production began in 1983, the first new tanks received Royal Hussars. Until 1988 it was built 420 tanks <Challenger>. admissions to adopt only the British Army.

The tank is designed in a classic case. Housing tank fully welded, made of composite armor <chobhem>. It otsutsutstvuyut molded components which existed in the construction of the tank hull <Chieftain>. The bottom of the hull is V-shaped to reduce the impact of detonation of antitank mines. In front of the case is an office administration. The driver’s seat is located on the axis of the tank: the same as the <Chiftene>. in a combat situation a driver took a reclining position. Office of rotation by using the wheel. To monitor the terrain used shirougolny periscope device that is easily replaced bespodsvetochnym infrared night vision devices.

The fighting compartment and turret in the middle parts of the tank. In welded turret installed 120-mm rifled gun L11A5. Compared with the same weapon tank <Chieftain>. gun <Challenger> has a shorter barrel. Shorter barrel guns facilitates the stabilization of the motion. Application in the construction of a new upgraded guns were obtained by electroslag remelting, the maximum pressure in the barrel with a 610 to 630 MPa (6200 – 6400 kg / cm2) and, despite the reduction in the length of the barrel, the initial velocity of the projectile remained the same. Changes undergone bolt gun to improve the obturation. Ammunition of the 64 rounds of separate loading ammunition is placed in the department and in the fighting compartment. Model considered variant of 34 armor-piercing rounds, 15 armor-piercing high-explosive and five smoke. Ammunition is stored in armored stacking containers, surrounded by a jacket with a special liquid, which reduces the probability of ignition and detonation of munitions. All powder charges are below the tower of the ring.

Corners of an instrument in the vertical plane-from-10 ° to +20 °. Drives gun laying in the vertical plane and a reversal of the tower, electrical, emergency drive – mechanical. Rate of turn of the tower varies from 0.01 to 24 deg. / S, the speed of the gun laying in the vertical plane – in the range of 0, 01 to 6 deg. / Sec. The gun is stabilized in two planes.

The left of the instrument is set 7,62 MM machine gun L8A2, paired with a gun, ammunition to the gun – 4000 rounds.

Right from the gun are the commander and gunner on the left – the loader.

The fire control system has undergone minor changes compared with the OMS tank <W-1>. It includes the integrated gunner’s sight in his laser range finder, ballistic computer and an electronic stabilizer guns. Ballistic computer generates data for firing, taking into account the target range, the angular velocity of the target, angle of heel pins gun tank, wind speed, air pressure and air temperature. The main uses Gunner’s periscope sight with a tenfold increase in Barr’s End Strood TLS № 10 Mk. 1, which is integrated laser rangefinder. In a laser rangefinder used emitter itrievoalyuminievy grenades instead of the ruby, which applied in the tank rangefinders <Chieftain>. Subsidiary sight – telescopic company Vickers Instrument, AFV № 80 Mk.l a sevenfold increase. Align the sight by means of the collimator and the reflecting mirror mounted on the barrel of the gun near the muzzle. For the conduct of hostilities during the night using thermal imaging sight Barr End Strood TOGS (Termal Observation and Gunnery Sistem – thermal monitoring system and fire). The commander’s periscope sight set Avimo AFV № 37 Mk.5, having 1 – and 10-fold increase. Line of sight sight stabilized. Along the perimeter of the commander’s hatch located eight periscope observation devices Helio Mirror AFV № 40 Mk.2, which give the total circular field of view. Commander’s sight optical channel associated with the gunner’s sight and video monitoring unit system TOGS, which allows the commander to fire, using a laser rangefinder and thermal imager. At loader is one rotating periscope observation instrument. All optical devices have the tank frost device and cleaning system from dirt.

At the commander’s cupola is mounted remotely-controlled 7.62-mm machine gun L-37A2, with angles pointing in the vertical plane from -10 ° to +75 °. The fire from anti-aircraft machine gun is a tank commander. Fired from a cannon and machine-gun and can lead gunner, and commander.

In front of the towers on the sides is set on five smoke grenades.

Stern of the shell takes power pack compartment. Power pack installation is in a single unit and is the longitudinal axis of the tank. Weight unit 5,49 m, to replace him in the field requires 45 minutes. As the main engine uses 12-cylinder V-twin four-stroke diesel 12 V-1200 <Condor> capacity is 1200 liters. with. firm Perkins. Diesel has a turbocharger. To the left of the main engine installed auxiliary diesel H30 firms Coventry Klaymeks capacity 37 liters. pp. which serves to drive an electric generator. start the main diesel engine, recharge the batteries and warm. Both engines have a total liquid cooling system that ensures reliable operation of engines at an ambient temperature of +52 ° C.

In the tank <Challenger> the first time in English tank manufacturing using the automatic hydromechanical transmission TN-37 with hydrostatic transmission in the drive mechanism rotation. Transmission was developed by David Brown. Planetary gear transmission provides four forward gears and three – back. Hydrostatic transmission allows you to smoothly adjust the turning radius in the entire range, which improved handling compared to <Chiftenom>. where the mechanic-driver had to periodically affect the friction elements, which led to a sharp change in the angle of rotation of the tank and its angular velocity.

It was supposed to serial tanks <Challenger> install a more powerful diesel 12V-1500 (capacity 1500 hp), but these plans were not implemented.

On either side of the engine-transmission unit installed pro-tektirovannye fuel tanks of synthetic rubber with a wall thickness of 11.5 mm. The total capacity of tanks 1592 liter.

To supply electricity and radio equipment uses two electric generator (driven from the main and auxiliary diesel) and four rechargeable batteries capacity 100 A.Ch.

Chassis tank <Challenger> differs sharply from the suspension tank <Chieftain>. Instead of spring-suspension equalizer used unregulated piston hydropneumatic suspension, developed by MVEE and private firms Dunlop and Laser Engineering. Suspension provides a dynamic course of roller 340 mm (for tank <Chieftain> – 159 mm, the tank <W-I> – 250 mm). On each side of the set of six team and four support rollers. References roller shaft, with aluminum wheels and steel wheels. Caterpillar open metal hinges, trucks have removable rubber cushion. Chassis covered a four screens installed on each side.

The tank is installed simplex telephone radio VK / VRC -353 VHF. There is a system of protection against weapons of mass destruction, which is located in an isolated compartment of the turret. An automatic fire extinguishing system.