FV 4030 Challenger | |
---|---|
![]() Challenger 1 at Tankfest 2009 at The Tank Museum | |
Type | Main battle tank |
Place of origin | United Kingdom |
Service history | |
In service |
|
Used by | |
Wars | Gulf War |
Production history | |
Manufacturer | Royal Ordnance Factory |
Unit cost | £1.5 million (1987)[1] |
No. built | 420 |
Specifications | |
Mass | 62 t (61 long tons; 68 short tons) 70 t (69 long tons; 77 short tons) with additional armour modules |
Length | 11.56 m (37 ft 11 in) (gun forward) |
Width | 3.51 m (11 ft 6 in) |
Height | 2.95 m (9 ft 8 in) (top of commander sight) |
Crew | 4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver) |
Armour | Chobham composite ceramic vehicle armour |
Main armament | Royal Ordnance L11A5 120 mm rifled gun 64 rounds |
Secondary armament | 7.62 mm L8A2, 7.62 mm L37A2 machine guns 4,000 rounds |
Engine | Perkins CV12 26 litre diesel 1,200 hp (895 kW) |
Power/weight | 14.4 kW/tonne |
Transmission | David Brown TN37 transmission (4 fwd, 3 rev.) |
Suspension | Hydropneumatic (hydrogas) |
Operational range | 280 mi (450 km) on road |
Maximum speed | 35 mph (56 km/h) |
The FV4030/4 Challenger 1 is a British main battle tank (MBT) used by the British Army from 1983 to 2001, when it was superseded by the Challenger 2. The majority of the Challenger 1 fleet was subsequently sold to Jordan where it remained in service with the Royal Jordanian Army until withdrawals were announced in 2018.[2] Known locally as Al-Hussein, these vehicles received various Jordanian modifications before being replaced by French-made Leclerc tanks from the UAE and ex-Italian B1 Centauro 8x8 wheeled tank destroyers. The Jordanian Challenger 1 fleet had been retired by January 2023.[3][4]