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Army's new 'world beating' Challenger 3 tank will outgun anything in Putin's ranks, says Defence Secretary as he announces £800m upgrade for Britain's armoured forces
UK Daily Mail ^ | May 8, 2021 | Tom Pyman

Posted on 05/08/2021 4:11:16 AM PDT by C19fan

The Army's new 'world beating' Challenger 3 tank will outgun anything in Putin's ranks, the Defence Secretary has said as he announced an £800million upgrade for Britain's armoured forces.

The lucrative contract will see the military equipped with 148 of the 'most lethal' main battle tanks in Europe, complete with faster-travelling ammunition and unrivalled tracking systems, Ben Wallace said yesterday.

The fleet of fully-digitised Challenger 3 tanks will be produced at the Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) plant at Telford in Shropshire and will replace the existing Challenger 2 vehicles which have been in service since 1998.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: tanks; uk
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One interesting think for amateur military historians, is this tank will be armed with a smoothbore gun. The Brits have up to now retained the rifled gun despite most other nations shifting to smoothbore.
1 posted on 05/08/2021 4:11:16 AM PDT by C19fan
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To: C19fan

If you peruse YouTube you will see all kinds of videos on tanks, planes, ships that have a teaser like...”this X will frighten all of China.” The thing about weapons is, it depends on how they are used, when they are used and by whom they are used. History is full of examples where superior militaries are beaten by an inferior ragtag. When you have a doddering pedophile as a leader he can destroy a military faster than the worst battle of all time. However, I am certain that letting men who think they are women into the special forces will indeed frighten China. They could laugh themselves to death.


2 posted on 05/08/2021 4:16:40 AM PDT by Gen.Blather (Wait! I said that out loud? )
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To: C19fan

3 posted on 05/08/2021 4:22:18 AM PDT by jerod (Nazi's were essentially Socialist in Hugo Boss uniforms... Get over it!)
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To: Gen.Blather

Nah, there’s a deterrent to actually invading Russia or China. MAD


4 posted on 05/08/2021 4:26:13 AM PDT by Morpheus2009 (If you want me to be afraid, then be consistent in your logic, standards, and your lies!s)
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To: C19fan

148 isn’t that many. Wondering if the Limeys will sell more to NATO?

I believe 3500 Abrams were built for the USA Military. No idea how many are still around in various incarnations.


5 posted on 05/08/2021 4:30:05 AM PDT by DAC21
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But does it have Apple Car Play??


6 posted on 05/08/2021 4:34:30 AM PDT by OCMike
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To: C19fan

Living on and island one would think ships would be more of a priority. Unless these float.


7 posted on 05/08/2021 4:37:18 AM PDT by McGruff
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To: jerod

It rates a rematch with Jeremy Clarkson and a Range Rover.


8 posted on 05/08/2021 5:08:21 AM PDT by wally_bert (I cannot be sure for certain, but in my personal opinion I am certain that I am not sure.)
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To: DAC21

Way more than that.

According to Wiki:
Army: 1,174 M1A2 and M1A2 SEP variants, 4,393 M1A1 variants
Marines: 403 M1A1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_main_battle_tanks_by_country


9 posted on 05/08/2021 5:23:56 AM PDT by mad_as_he$$ (God is in charge but he doesn't expect you to lean on the shovel and expect that a hole will appear.)
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To: Gen.Blather

Pretty bold talk for a country that has only 227 MBTs...on an island.


10 posted on 05/08/2021 5:38:02 AM PDT by Covenantor (We are ruled...by liars who refuse them news, and fools who can not govern. " Chesterton)
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Phew, UK is now prepared for a Russian invasion.


11 posted on 05/08/2021 6:03:20 AM PDT by Reaganez
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To: C19fan

Quantity has a quality all its own. The Panther was probably the best large production tank of World War II. But it couldn’t stand up to the quantity of Russian and American tanks.


12 posted on 05/08/2021 6:09:26 AM PDT by PAR35
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To: DAC21
Wondering if the Limeys will sell more to NATO?

The Germans have their Leopards, the French have LeClercs. Even the Italians have a domestic product. They are the only ones likely to need quantity. Poland is a NATO potential market. They have been buying used from Germany.

India would be a better market for sales, as their domestic offering has pretty much been junk, and they have been buying Russian.

13 posted on 05/08/2021 6:18:41 AM PDT by PAR35
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To: PAR35

That’s great! Just like the really excellent plate armor knights started wearing, about the time really accurate and deadly firearms showed up on the battlefield. The war in lebanon in 2006 and the war in artsakh this year demonstrated how vulnerable tanks are to portable anti-tank missiles and drones.


14 posted on 05/08/2021 6:36:33 AM PDT by ozarker
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To: C19fan

148 tanks. That is going to change the balance of power in Europe!


15 posted on 05/08/2021 8:21:15 AM PDT by glorgau
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To: C19fan

So Britain will have 148.

How many does Russia have?

As the Vozhd put it, “quantity has a quality all its own”. And he proved it from February 1943-May 1945.


16 posted on 05/08/2021 8:24:28 AM PDT by Jim Noble (Extremism in the defense of Liberty is no vice)
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To: Gen.Blather

“ The thing about weapons is, it depends on how they are used, when they are used and by whom they are used.”

And on how many there are, and on how fast they can be produced to make up losses.


17 posted on 05/08/2021 8:25:57 AM PDT by Jim Noble (Extremism in the defense of Liberty is no vice)
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To: C19fan

Would an electronic pulse weapon render a fully digitized tank much less capable, and be a death trap to its’ occupants?


18 posted on 05/08/2021 9:21:36 AM PDT by Getready (Wisdom is more valuable than gold and diamonds, and harder to find.)
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To: C19fan

Upgrading them into Leopards.


19 posted on 05/08/2021 11:30:35 AM PDT by Mr. Blond
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To: C19fan

Yeah, like 148 tanks will mean a lot when the odds are 10:1.


20 posted on 05/08/2021 2:11:48 PM PDT by damper99
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