- Milestone reached for Europe’s most lethal tank with turret
steel cut
- Upgrades to lethality, surveillance and versatility
- £25 million contract to sustain 285 jobs in the North East
The Challenger 3 tanks are being upgraded by Rheinmetall BAE
Systems Land (RBSL) under an £800 million
contract, which will deliver 148 Challenger 3 tanks and equip
the British Army with this modern capability until 2040.
Constructed as part of a £25 million sub-contract with Pearson
Engineering in Newcastle, the new turret will ensure the
Challenger 3 tanks are equipped with state-of-the-art lethality,
upgraded survivability, and world-class surveillance and
targeting technologies.
Officially announcing this milestone at Pearson
Engineering, Defence Procurement Minister said:
Challenger 3 tanks will be at the forefront of the British Army’s
ground force deterrent against our adversaries. They will be
equipped with the latest digital enhancements and weaponry,
providing support and reassurance to our allies.
This steel cut represents progress on delivering on our ongoing
upgrade to British Army capabilities and on investment in skills
and manufacturing in the North East and across the U.K.
This valuable investment for Pearson Engineering will sustain 285
skilled roles and will help the company recruit several new
technical roles across project management, engineering and
design, as well as 20 apprentices under an expanded science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) outreach
programme.
Challenger 3 tank upgrades include:
- High velocity ammunition with faster speeds and increased
range
- Digitally programmed ammunition in a 120-millimetre
smoothbore gun
- A versatile turret that can be fitted to the tanks of allies
and global partners
- A new engine cooling system and suspension to increase
accuracy for firing in transit
- A new automatic target detection and tracking system to
identify threats
- New thermal long-range cameras, modernising the day/night
image system
Challenger 3 Senior Responsible Owner, Brig Nick Cowey,
said:
I’m really excited at this key milestone in the Challenger 3
programme being achieved on schedule. The turret fabrication
being conducted here by Pearson Engineering is crucial for the
delivery of a fully digitised turret, ensuring that our
modernised Main Battle Tank is the most lethal in Europe.
The steel cutting milestone reaffirmed that warfighting remains
the cornerstone of deterrence and the bedrock of the British
Army. The investment into our renewed Challenger 3 tank is a
clear example of implementing the Defence Command Paper
ambition and endorses our commitment to invest £3 billion into
Army equipment over the next decade, delivering a modernised,
adaptable and expeditionary fighting force.
Background
- Initial Operating Capability for the Challenger 3 tank is
expected in 2027.
