Profile
- Type
- Main battle tank
- Conflict side
- Ukraine
- Origin
- United Kingdom / UK donor transfer
- Service note
- Modern Western armor
Tanks
Challenger 2
The Challenger 2 is a British third-generation main battle tank built around a rifled 120 mm gun, heavy composite armor, and four-person crew operations. In the Russia-Ukraine War, the United Kingdom supplied a small squadron to Ukraine as one of the first Western main battle tank transfers of the full-scale invasion.
- Conflict side
- Ukraine
- Built in
- United Kingdom
Service History
- In service
- Entered British Army service in 1998; transferred to Ukraine in 2023
- Used by
- Ukrainian Armed Forces, British Army
- Wars
- Russia-Ukraine War, Iraq War
Production History
- Designer
- Vickers Defence Systems
- Designed
- 1980s-1990s
- Built in
- United Kingdom
- Unit cost
- Not publicly standardized for Ukraine transfer
- Produced
- 1990s-2000s
- Number built
- About 400 for the United Kingdom, plus export vehicles for Oman
- Variants
- Challenger 2
Specifications
- Crew
- 4
- Armament
- L30 120 mm rifled main gun; 7.62 mm coaxial chain gun; 7.62 mm pintle-mounted machine gun
- Weight
- 62.5 tonnes; up to about 75 tonnes combat-ready with add-on armor modules
- Mobility
- Perkins CV12 1,200 hp diesel engine; about 59 km/h maximum road speed and 550 km road range
- Protection
- Heavily armored hull and turret using classified Chobham/Dorchester composite armor with optional add-on armor modules
Conflict Usage
- Russia-Ukraine War
- Side: Ukraine
The United Kingdom donated a squadron of 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine, with ammunition, spares, recovery support, and UK-based crew training completed before the tanks joined Ukraine's fight against Russia's full-scale invasion.
Challenger 2 Images
Related Weapon Systems
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CV90Tracked infantry fighting vehicleThe CV90 is a Swedish tracked infantry fighting vehicle family built by BAE Systems Hägglunds for protected troop movement and direct-fire support. In Ukrainian service, Swedish-donated CV90s add a heavily armed Western IFV with strong cross-country mobility, a crewed turret, and support arrangements for training, maintenance, and additional vehicles.Sources
Challenger 2Publisher: The British Army | Note: Supports British Army system background, role, weight, mobility, and general specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-19Challenger 2 and 3 - Main Battle TankPublisher: Rheinmetall | Note: Supports armament, powerpack, and manufacturer background for the Challenger family. | Accessed: 2026-06-19RBSL to build next-generation Challenger 3 tanksPublisher: Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land | Note: Supports lineage and manufacturer background, including RBSL's connection to Vickers Defence Systems and Challenger 2 delivery. | Accessed: 2026-06-19Ukrainian tank crews complete Challenger 2 training in UKPublisher: UK Ministry of Defence | Note: Supports Russia-Ukraine War transfer and training context for the 14 Challenger 2 tanks supplied to Ukraine. | Accessed: 2026-06-19Support for Ukraine accelerated in a show of continued unity at RamsteinPublisher: UK Ministry of Defence | Note: Supports Russia-Ukraine War direct conflict-use context by documenting Challenger 2 tanks delivered to Ukraine with ammunition, spares, and recovery vehicles. | Accessed: 2026-06-19Challenger 2 Tank MOD 45154622Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports primary image provenance for an MOD Defence Imagery Challenger 2 photograph made available under Open Government Licence terms. | Accessed: 2026-06-19