The Challenger is a Tier VII British tank destroyer. Challenger - British Tier VII tank destroyer What to download challenger 1

21-12-2016, 02:05

Good day and welcome to the site! Tankers, today we have on our agenda a strange, and in the opinion of most players, a rather mediocre British-made vehicle, we are talking about a tank destroyer of the seventh level - this is Challenger guide.

At first glance at this device, you begin to suspect some kind of catch, the British woman looks like a "specific cactus", but upon closer examination Challenger TTX several unpleasant nuances are noticed at once, but first things first.

TTX Challenger

As a start, it should be said that our self-propelled gun is far from the smallest, but quite modest margin of safety, as well as a good basic overview with a range of 370 meters.

From the point of view of survivability, this unit is also very weak, let's start with the fact that Challenger characteristics bookings are very scarce. The hull pliantly absorbs damage from all enemies encountered in battle, the tower is even softer, so there is nothing to say here. No matter how you turn the case, it will not help, so do not rely on armor in any case.

I would like to say that Tank destroyer Challenger WoT compensates for the lack of booking with phenomenal accuracy, but that would be a lie. This car has a high silhouette, so the camouflage is far from the best.

but British Challenger tank Designed on the basis of the CT of the sixth level of Cromwell, thanks to which our self-propelled gun received excellent mobility. We can boast of a good top speed, excellent dynamics and even maneuverability is very decent here.

Cannon

Now let's turn our attention to the armament of this British woman, but you shouldn't give yourself much hope, the gun can hardly be called powerful or really comfortable.

Let's begin with that Challenger cannon has a very small alpha strike, for some this moment will be critical, but you should not despair too much, the excellent rate of fire allows you to deal about 2300 damage per minute, which is very good.

The real disadvantage is that the gun is endowed with weak armor-piercing qualities. Sweep at the top of the list Challenger World of Tanks is capable of very effective, there will be practically no problem, but the equipment of the 8th and 9th level breaks through much worse, so it's better to carry 20% -30% of gold cartridges with you.

As for the accuracy and comfort of inflicting damage, there are no complaints here. Challenger tank received a very compact circle of spread, excellent aiming speed, only stabilization is weak, but we are talking about a self-propelled gun. In addition, the trunk lowers by 10 degrees and rises by 20 degrees, everything is fine.

Advantages and disadvantages

According to all of the above, it turns out that the car in our hands seems to be not bad, but it is also impossible to name it really strong. A kind of middle peasant, which many will pass and forget, however, it is still worth knowing what kind of Challenger World of Tanks there are strengths and weaknesses.
Pros:
Good overview;
Excellent mobility
The presence of a rotating tower;
A very worthy PDA;
Good accuracy;
Comfortable corners vertical guidance.
Minuses:
Cardboard armor;
High silhouette;
The tower turns very slowly;
Weak alpha-strike;
Mediocre penetration by an armor-piercing projectile.

Equipment for Challenger

In order for the battles on this device to be more comfortable, you had a chance to inflict as much damage as possible and benefit your team, it is important to choose the right additional modules improving your strengths. For Challenger equipment it is not too difficult to select:
1. - the choice is necessary at all times, as it will significantly increase your already good DPM.
2. - we already have a good review on our side, and this module will make it even more enjoyable, especially when combined with some perks.
3. - will give the self-propelled gun all the necessary bonuses, that is, the rate of fire, the speed of aiming, and will adjust the view a little more.

As such, there is no alternative to the three points set out above, however, for those who prefer a passive style of play, the second and third modules can be changed to and, respectively. Thanks to such preferences, you can easily finish off the viewing range to the maximum, and even improve the rather weak camouflage.

Crew training

The choice of skills and the sequence of their study will always be a more serious nuance, especially in our case, when the composition of the crew of five is not quite ordinary. However, priorities are set quite standardly, so on Challenger perks explore the following:
Commander -,,,.
Gunner -,,,.
Driver mechanic - , , , .
Charger -,,,.
Charger (radio operator) -,,,.

Equipment for Challenger

But in terms of buying consumables, no problems are expected, in order to save money, you can very successfully fight with a standard set of, and. If you do not need to save, and you want maximum comfort in battle, Challenger outfit it is better to carry in the form,,. Do not forget about our tank rarely burns.

Challenger tactics

Due to its large silhouette, lack of armor and a powerful alpha-strike, our self-propelled gun can deservedly be considered the so-called "machine of the red line".

What does it mean? It's simple - for Challenger tactics combat consists in the maximum distance from the enemy forces and the shooting of damage from long distances. As you know, we have a fairly accurate weapon and a high rate of fire for this.

However, it should be borne in mind that Tank destroyer Challenger World of Tanks has not the best penetration parameters. In view of this feature, at the top of the list you can fight more than comfortably, you can penetrate the enemy even at a distance of 300-400 meters.

At the bottom of the list, the situation is changing, targeting vulnerabilities at long distances is difficult, so Challenger WoT will have to shoot gold more often. In addition, our ammunition supply is not very large and fighting against 8-9 levels of ammunition may run out, so shoot sparingly.

Otherwise, despite such a rather passive tactic, active actions are not alien to our Briton. Thanks to excellent mobility Challenger tank can take advantageous positions among the first, quickly change flanks, and, if necessary, even provide its allies with lighting. Remember only about weak armor and a small margin of safety.

A total of 420 units were produced. By the end of the 1990s, it was replaced by the Challenger 2 tanks in the British army, and the vehicles removed from service were sold to Jordan. On comparative firing against the Abrams and Leopard, the tank showed on average low capabilities.After that, it stopped participating in such events.

Combat use

Tanks of this type were used by British forces during the Gulf War. The tanks turned out to be completely unsuitable for combat in desert conditions. Prior to the outbreak of the Gulf War, only 22% of Challenger 1s were operational due to interruptions and lack of spare parts. They had no combat losses (perhaps 1 vehicle). In the battles, the Challengers destroyed about 300 Iraqi tanks. The engine-transmission unit is made in the form of a single unit and is located longitudinally to the tank axis. The block weighs 5.49 tons; it takes 45 minutes to replace it in the field. The main engine is a 12-cylinder V-shaped four-stroke diesel engine with a turbocharging V-1200 "Condor" with a capacity of 1200 hp. by Perkins. An auxiliary diesel engine H30 from Coventry Claymex with a capacity of 37 hp is installed on the left. (for driving an electric generator, starting the main diesel engine, recharging and warming up batteries). Both engines have a common liquid cooling system, which ensures reliable operation of the motors at an ambient temperature of + 52 ° C. which is not uncommon in desert conditions.

Cars based on the "Challenger"

In service

Was in service

In service

In popular culture

Stand modeling

Prefabricated plastic models-copies of the Challenger tank of various modifications in a scale of 1:35 are produced by Tamiya (Japan) in two modifications - a desert version and a version for Europe.

Assembled 1:72 scale models are produced by Revell (Germany) with variants of machines for the 1988 Iron Hammer exercise, as well as for the operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (IFOR)

Game industry

Armored Warfare in the form of Tier 7 MBTs.

Challenger 1 is introduced in War Thunder at the 6th era in the research tree.

Tank FV4030 / 4 appeared at Ground War tanks as the main prize received in the gold reserve.

Tank Challenger 1 since 2013 has been featured in the multiplayer arcade shooter "Tanktastic", released for Android and IOS platforms.

Presented in mobile tank simulator on Android "Wild Tanks" as two versions: Challenger 2 ST level 10, Challenger TT 9 level tanks of the Western block.

Challenger 1 is presented in the Wargame game (all 3 parts) in the form of MBT of NATO troops

Tank Challenger 1 and Challenger 2 are featured in the multiplayer, tank, arcade shooter Tanktastic, released for Android and IOS platforms

see also

Literature

• N. Kovalev. British tank "Challenger" // "Foreign Military Review", No. 3, 1981, p. 76
• A. Lukyanov. British tank "Challenger-1" // "Foreign Military Review", No. 3 (635), 2000. p. 28
• M. Baryatinsky. Medium and main tanks of foreign countries 1945-2000 (Part 1)... - M .: Bronekollektsiya, issue No. 3, 2001
• N.L. Volkovsky "Modern Combat vehicles... Ground Forces ". Publishing house" Polygon ". 2006. p.6

The promising Anglo-West German tank MBT-80 / Kpz-80, on which work has been going on since 1972, was called to replace the Chieftain tanks. The program was canceled in 1977 due to disagreements between the tank builders and the military of both states. The question of the British main battle tank 80s remained open. In 1978-1979. the development of the national MBT-80 tank was carried out using the backlog developed in the framework of the Anglo-German program. Finally, the problem was resolved in the most unexpected way in 1979. when the refusal of the new Iranian government to order the Shir-2 tanks added a headache to the British. A lot of money was pumped into the FV 4030/3 project, time was spent, seven experimental tanks were built.

After significant hesitation, the British made a compromise decision: to continue the evolutionary development of the FV 4030 project, taking the Shir-2 tank as a basis, but to replace only the Chiefs with new tanks. in service with the British Rhine Army. In 1980, a contract was signed for the supply of 225 tanks. To develop new solutions and test them, seven prototypes of "Shir-2" were re-equipped, which received a new designation FV 4030/4 and its own name "Challenger" ("Challenger"). The design of the machine was carried out by the designers of the Technical Directorate of Military Vehicles and Equipment (MVEE) and specialists from the State Tank Plant. As in the design of the Chieftain. one of the most critical was the problem of the mass. The specification of the General Staff limited the mass of the promising tank to 54.8 tons (the mass of the Chieftain Mk.5 tank), however, even during the development of the MVT-80 project, British experts came to the conclusion that it was impossible to strengthen the armor provided that the mass of the new tank remained at the level the masses of the Chieftain Mk.5.

The mass had to be increased to 60-62 tons, in this case it became possible to strengthen the armor of the frontal part of the hull and turret, as well as the sides. MVEE engineers, as a justification for the possibility of increasing the mass, put forward the thesis about the insignificant difference between 50 and 60 ton tanks. So, with equal power density and ground pressure, mobility, average speed, throttle response and permeability will be approximately the same. One of the criteria limiting the mass of a tank is the carrying capacity of road bridges. The British carried out an analysis of the distribution in the European theater of operations of engineering structures limiting the mobility of tanks; It turned out that most of the bridges are designed for a load of 20 tons, that is, they will fail with equal success under a 50-ton tank, and under a tank weighing 60 tons, and bridges with a carrying capacity of 50 and 60 tons are "smeared" across Europe approximately evenly. As a result of this kind of research and analysis, it was possible to convince the military to raise the bar of the upper weight limit to the required 60-62 tons. The tanks were tested at Bovington; in the course of them seven cars drove over 100,000 km. Their maintainability and reliability, electromagnetic compatibility of radio equipment were checked. At the final stage in October 1982, the participation of vehicles in four-day continuous hostilities was simulated. The military was satisfied, and in December 1982, the British Army's manager of the Challenger tank program, Colonel Murray-Brown, signed a test completion certificate.

Serial production began in 1983, with the Royal Hussars being the first to receive new tanks. Until 1988, 420 Challenger tanks were built. entered service only with the British army. The tank is designed according to the classic scheme. The hull of the tank is fully welded, made of combined Chobham armor. It lacks the cast parts that were in the structure of the hull of the Chieftain tank. The bottom of the hull is V-shaped to mitigate the detonation effect of anti-tank mines. There is a control compartment in the front of the body. The driver's seat is located along the axis of the tank: the same as on the Chieftain. in the combat position, the driver takes a reclining position. The steering is controlled using the steering wheel. To observe the terrain, a wide-angle periscope device is used, which is easily replaced by an infrared non-illuminated night vision device. The fighting compartment and the turret occupy the middle of the tank. A 120-mm rifled gun L11A5 is installed in the welded turret.

Compared to a similar weapon of the Chieftain tank. the Challenger cannon has a shorter barrel. The shorter barrel makes it easier to stabilize the implement while driving. The use in the design of the modernized gun of new steel, obtained by the method of electroslag remelting, the maximum pressure in the barrel bore from 610 to 630 MPa (6200 - 6400 kgf / cm2) and, despite the reduced barrel length, the initial velocity of the projectile remained the same. The gun bolt has undergone changes in order to improve obturation. Ammunition of 64 separate loading rounds is placed in the control compartment and in the fighting compartment. A typical variant is considered to be a variant of 34 armor-piercing sub-caliber shells, 15 armor-piercing high-explosive shells and five smoke shells. Ammunition is stored in armored storage containers, surrounded by a jacket with a special liquid, which reduces the likelihood of fire and detonation of ammunition. All powder charges are below the turret ring. The gun pointing angles in the vertical plane are from -10 ° to + 20 °.

The drives for aiming the gun in the vertical plane and turning the tower are electrical, emergency drives are mechanical. The turret turn speed varies from 0.01 to 24 deg / s, the speed of aiming the gun in the vertical plane - in the range from 0.01 to 6 deg / s. The gun is stabilized in two planes. To the left of the gun is a 7.62MM L8A2 machine gun paired with a cannon; ammunition for the machine gun - 4000 rounds. To the right of the gun are the workplaces of the commander and gunner, to the left of the loader. The fire control system has undergone minor changes compared to the FCS of the Shir-1 tank. It includes a gunner's sight with an integrated laser rangefinder, an electronic ballistic computer and a gun stabilizer. The ballistic computer generates data for firing, taking into account the range to the target, the angular velocity of the target, the roll angle of the tank gun trunnions, the wind speed, atmospheric pressure and air temperature. As the main sight, the gunner uses a tenfold periscope sight Barr & Strud TLS No. 10 Mk. 1, which has a built-in laser rangefinder. The laser emitter of the rangefinder uses an ytrium-aluminum grenade instead of the ruby ​​used in the rangefinder of the Chieftain tank. The auxiliary sight is a telescopic sight, manufactured by Vickers Instrument, AFV No. 80 Mk.l with a sevenfold magnification.

The sight is adjusted using a collimator and a reflective mirror mounted on the gun barrel near the muzzle. For warfare at night, a thermal imaging sight Barr and Strud TOGS (Termal Observation and Gunnery Sistem) is used. The commander has an Avimo AFV No. 37 Mk.5 periscope sight with 1- and 10-fold magnification. The sight line of sight is stable. Along the perimeter of the commander's hatch are eight periscopic observation devices Helio Mirror AFV No. 40 Mk.2, giving a total circular field of view. The commander's sight is connected by an optical channel to the gunner's sight and the TOGS video control device, which allows the commander to fire using a laser rangefinder and a thermal imager. The loader has one rotating periscope observation device. All optical devices of the tank are equipped with anti-icing devices and dirt cleaning systems. The commander's cupola is equipped with a remote-controlled 7.62 mm L-37A2 machine gun with vertical guidance angles from -10 ° to + 75 °. The tank commander is conducting fire from an anti-aircraft machine gun. Both the gunner and the commander can shoot from a cannon and a coaxial machine gun. In front of the tower, five smoke grenade launchers are installed on the sides. The aft part of the hull is occupied by the engine-transmission compartment. The engine-transmission unit is made in the form of a single unit and is located longitudinally to the tank axis.

The block weighs 5.49 tons; it takes 45 minutes to replace it in the field. The main engine is a 12-cylinder V-shaped four-stroke diesel engine 12 V-1200 "Condor" with a capacity of 1200 hp. with. by Perkins. The diesel is turbocharged. To the left of the main engine, an auxiliary diesel engine H30 from Coventry Claymex with a capacity of 37 liters is installed. with., serving to drive an electric generator. starting the main diesel engine, recharging and warming up the batteries. Both engines have a common liquid cooling system, which ensures reliable operation of the motors at an ambient temperature of + 52 ° C. For the first time in British tank building, the Challenger tank uses an automatic hydromechanical transmission TN-37 with a hydrostatic transmission in the swing mechanism drive. The transmission was developed by David Brown. The planetary gearbox provides four forward gears and three reverse gears. The hydrostatic transmission allows smoothly adjusting the turning radius over the entire range, which has improved controllability in comparison with the Chieftain. in which the driver had to periodically act on 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 install more powerful 12V-1500 diesel engines (1500 hp) on the Challenger serial tanks, but these plans were not implemented. On the sides of the engine-transmission unit, there are leaked synthetic rubber fuel tanks with a wall thickness of 11.5 mm. The total capacity of the tanks is 1592 liters.

To power the electrical and radio equipment, two electric generators (driven by the main and auxiliary diesel engines) and four storage batteries with a capacity of 100 Ah are used. The chassis of the Challenger tank differs sharply from the suspension of the Chieftain. Instead of a spring-balanced suspension, an unregulated hydropneumatic piston suspension is used, developed by specialists from MVEE and private firms Dunlop and Laser Engineering. The suspension provides a dynamic roller stroke of 340 mm (for the Chieftain tank - 159 mm, for the Shir-I tank - 250 mm). Each side has six support and four carrier rollers. Track rollers are rubberized, with aluminum discs and steel hubs. Track with open metal hinges, tracks have removable rubber pads. The undercarriage is covered with four-section screens installed on each side. The tank is equipped with a VK / VRC-353 VHF simplex telephone radio station. There is a system of protection against weapons of mass destruction, located in an isolated compartment of the rear of the tower. An automatic fire extinguishing system has been installed.

COMBAT APPLICATION

Challenger tanks from the 1st Armored Division under the command of Major General Rupert Smith (which included the 4th Heavy Infantry and 7th Heavy Armored Brigades) took part in Operation Desert Storm in 1991. The 7th brigade consisted of two four-squadron regiments armed with Challenger tanks and an infantry fighting vehicle battalion. The 4th brigade had two battalions of infantry fighting vehicles and a three-squadron tank regiment on the Challengers. The brigades were transferred to Saudi Arabia from Germany. Tankers struck on the right flank of the American 7th Corps along the Kuwaiti-Iraqi border.

The information published in the Western press about the participation of British tanks in this operation is rather contradictory. According to some reports, the vehicles and crews deserved the highest marks, the combat readiness of the materiel reached 95%, and the tankers took revenge for their failed performance on the Canadien Trophy-97 and demonstrated their sniper shooting accuracy. At the same time, according to the magazine "International Defense Review" (No. 9 for 1992), most of the "Challengers" in the five days of the blitzkrieg were put out of action. The tanks turned out to be completely unsuitable for combat in desert conditions. According to the British, the crews of 157 Challenger tanks destroyed about 300 Iraqi tanks, losing only one of theirs.

TRAINING TANK CHALLENGER-1

The first of 17 Challenger training tanks entered the Bovington test center in November 1989. The tank is a conventional Challenger, which has a non-rotating two-seat (instructor and cadet) cockpit instead of a turret. In 1990, the remaining 16 training tanks were transferred to the British army. Two vehicles were purchased by Oman as part of a contract for the supply of 18 Challenger 2 tanks.

BRAM BASED ON CHALLENGER-1 TANK

In 1985, the British Department of Defense signed a contract with Vickers Defense Systems for the supply of 30 ARVs based on the Challenger tank; in total, 74 armored recovery vehicles were delivered to the British army. Four ARVs were purchased by the Omani armed forces. The first of six pre-production vehicles was manufactured at the company's plant in Newcastle in the summer of 1987. The BREM has a chassis, a lower hull, an engine and a number of other systems and assemblies similar to the Challenger tank. The BREM crew consists of three people: commander, driver, radio operator, it is possible to transport two more people. The driver's workplace is located in the front part of the body to the left of the machine axis, a hydraulic winch is installed to the right of it. There is a periscope observation device in the driver's hatch. The commander's seat is located behind the driver's seat. A rotating commander's cupola is installed on the roof of the hull. The turret is equipped with a remote-controlled machine gun of 7.62 mm caliber, day (with 1- and 10-fold magnification) and night (with 1- and 6-fold magnification) sights, as well as nine fixed observation devices. The engine compartment is located in the aft part of the ARV and is separated from the fighting compartment by a firewall.

The main and auxiliary engines are the same as on the Challenger tank. Transmission - David Brown TN-54, which is an improved version of the TN-37 transmission. The TN-54 transmission has six forward gears and two reverse gears. 12 smoke grenade launchers are installed in the front of the hull, and 8 smoke grenade launchers in the rear. The ARRV has two hydraulic winches - the main one (length of 9-mm steel cable 150 m) and auxiliary (length of 9-mm steel cable 300 m) with a pulling force of 510 and 15 kN, respectively. A hydraulic crane with a telescopic boom is mounted on the roof of the hull on the left side. The crane is designed to lift the engine-transmission unit of the Challenger tank and has a circular rotation. The hydraulic dozer blade is attached to the front of the ARV. In addition to replacing and transporting the power units of the main battle tanks, the BREM equipment allows you to perform welding, the machine has a powerful air compressor and a set of tools and spare parts for repairing tanks in the field. ARV is capable of towing vehicles weighing up to 68 tons at a speed of 30 km / h. The machine has a system of protection against weapons of mass destruction.

Challenger is a British tier 7 tank destroyer based on the Cromwell medium tank, which makes it somewhat similar to the gameplay of medium tanks. The tank is armed with a good weapon, is mobile and has a turret.

Armament

QF 17-pdr AT Gun Mk.II	QF 17-pdr AT Gun Mk.VII

Overview

Challenger is the last British tank destroyer, which mounts a 17-pounder cannon in the top. And it is on the Challenger that its penetration of 171 mm is often not enough even against Tier 7 vehicles. And if you fire only with basic shells (that is, without gold at all), then you are guaranteed frequent non-penetration.

On the other hand, sub-caliber projectiles with an inexplicable penetration of 239 mm solve almost all problems. Most of all, oddly enough, the Challenger resembles the E-25 in style of play - the same nimble, rapid-fire and glass, and now also with a tower. But no one introduced a preferential level of fights for him.

Advantages

• Excellent dynamics and maneuverability
• Accurate, fast-firing and comfortable weapon
• Rotating tower
• Large gun depression angles
• Good stabilization when shooting on the move

disadvantages

• Large dimensions
• Relatively small ammunition
• Slow turret rotation speed
• Bad disguise
• Small overview
• Almost complete lack of booking

Specifications

Reservation:
Case - 88/50/38
Tower - 101/40/40 stock
- 50/40/200 top
Strength 840..900
The chassis swing speed is 26..30 degrees / sec.
Turret traverse speed - 14..16 degrees / sec.
Angles of vertical guidance +20 ..- 10 °
Maximum speed +52 ..- 20 km / h
Engine power - 600..650hp.
Weight - 28.29 tons.
Specific power - 22.97 hp / t.
View range - 360..370 m
Communication range - 450..700m
Crew: 5 people

Reservation

Outcome

The car has a complex of balanced characteristics, it is generally comfortable to play on it, so it can be used depending on the individual preferences of the player. Not having a high one-time damage, the vehicle nevertheless has very good damage per minute and weapon parameters that allow you to deal this damage comfortably.

The gameplay is very similar to the previous tank: constant movement around the map together with allies, concentration of damage, distraction of the enemy and reasonable implementation strengths cars. Elevation angles (gun declination) allow effective use of terrain folds when firing.

Historical reference

Having experimented a lot with overseas Shermans, the British designers decided to burn down a medium tank for themselves with a more or less acceptable weapon, in the form of a 17-pounder cannon. Their choice fell on the brand new Cromwell, which, although it was quite a good medium tank, was a bit late, and didn’t take it against the Panthers and Tigers.

The result of this research was the Challenger cruising tank. Having rummaged through the warehouse, the designers found an unreported turret from the TOG-2 * and happily put a 17-pounder into it, and then screwed it all onto the Cromwell chassis. True, the chassis, due to the additional load, had to be lengthened (apparently the TOG-2 stood before my eyes as if it were alive).

After riding a new tank for some time, the British decided to convert it into a tank destroyer and changed the turret for it (leaving the old gun). New tower turned out to be less armored, more spacious and with an open top. All this disgrace was pathetically called the Avenger and sent to the front. However, while they were driving, the front ended, but that's another story ...