Cool Army Tanks

A big part of tank technology in this modern environment is the ability of a tank to effectively counter any attacks against it. The Challenger Tank employs some of the best counter measure technology available. So much so that in the recent Iraq war no tanks were lost to enemy fire. A small number of tanks were hit with roadside bombs which tore their tracks off effectively immobilizing the tank. As an attempt to prevent the tank falling into enemy hands another tank was deployed to “dispose” of the damaged tank by firing at it from a very close distance, point blank in tank’s terms. The advanced armour employed by the tank meant that it withstood the attack and had to be towed away after the unsuccessful attempt to destroy it!

So what kind of measures do modern tanks use to protect both its crew and the hardware inside? Measures range from simple and effective, to advanced ceramic composites. One of the most simple methods of protecting the cabin crew is to have netting along all internal walls. In the event of a hull breach the netting helps to contain any internal shrapnel which tends to be the biggest killer of crew.

The armour of modern tanks tend to consist of a secret mix of layered ceramics that, when working together, can stop almost any bullet and even direct hits from heavy tank weaponry. The challenger 2 tank has Chobham armour, a secret armour composite that is widely regarded as one of the best in the world. It is believed that Chobham armour consists of several layers of super hard ceramic that help protect against shaped charges, kinetic energy penetrators and High Explosive Anti Tank (HEAT) rounds. The armour also has a metal matrix and elastic layers for added protection. Whilst such armour can protect against a number of direct hits it cannot sustain multiple directed hits against the same point.

Tanks also employ a number of “passive” defence strategies for protection such as quieter operation, heat insulation and radioactive masking making the tanks harder to spot in the first place.

The Challenger 2 Battle Tank is the United Kingdom’s top tank seeing both operational service in Bosnia and Kosovo. The UK placed orders for 127 Challenger 2 tanks in 1991 and an additional 259 in 1994. The Royal Army of Oman also has 279 Challenger II tanks, which it deployed in active service in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The Challenger 2 is an advanced battle tank built by BAE Systems Land Systems formerly known as Vickers Defence Systems

Armament

The Challenger II’s main weapon is a L30 120mm rifled tank gun developed by BAE. As of 2004 Challenger 2 tanks are now equipped with an upgraded Rheinmetall L55 smoothbore gun, as fitted on the Leopard 2A6 tank.

The turret has a  360 degree range of motion and as has an elevation range of -10 degrees to 20 degrees.  The tank can carry up to 50 shells, including Armour-Piercing Fin-Stabilised Discarding Sabot (APFSDS), High-Explosive Squash Head (HESH) or smoke rounds, as well as depleted Uranium shells.