MoD Awards £46m To Investigate Challenger 2 Upgrades

The Ministry of Defence has announced that two companies will be awarded multi-million-pound contracts to investigate upgrades to Britain's Challenger 2 tanks.

It's hoped the work by BAE Systems and Rheinmetall Land Systeme GmbH will allow the extension of the tanks' service lives until 2035. 

It comes after reports that the Army was planning to reduce its frontline tanks by a third.

The agreements, worth £23 million each, represent the start of a competitive assessment phase, after which the companies will present their solutions to the MoD for consideration.

The demonstration and manufacture phases of the project will then follow.

Minister for Defence Procurement Harriett Baldwin said:

"Modernising the British Army’s Main Battle Tank under the Challenger 2 Life Extension Project involves partnerships across Defence exploring innovative solutions. Backed by a rising Defence budget and a £178 billion equipment plan, these tanks, just like the brand new Ajax armoured vehicle, are crucial to the British Army."

The Challenger 2 has been in service since 1998, including in operations in Iraq in the 2000s.

Recent developments in electronics, computing and sight optics mean upgrades to several of the tank’s components are now possible, however.

The total value of the assessment phase is £53 million, meanwhile. This includes both £23m Assessment Phase contracts (to BAE and Rheinmetall) and a further £7m to cover additional work.

It'll allow the two companies to undertake technical studies, produce detailed digital models and consider how upgrades will be integrated onto the current platform.

Chief of Materiel (Land) for Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), Lieutenant General Paul Jaques, said:

"Challenger 2 is an excellent Main Battle Tank with an impressive operational track record. The Challenger 2 Life Extension Project will upgrade the vehicle with the latest technology to make it available for operations out to 2035."

The Challenger 2 has a crew of four and carries a 120-millimetre main gun and two 7.62 millimetre machine guns, with a top speed of around 37 miles (59km) per hour.

It is currently in service with the Queen's Royal Hussars, the King's Royal Hussars and the Royal Tank Regiment.

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