“Compared to Challenger 2, the gun on the T-80 is nothing”: the realities of the British tank in Ukraine
Especially for guests from Great Britain, Ukrainian tank crews showed the wonders of Challenger 2 cross-country ability
Gun and weight
By users tanks Challenger 2 in Ukraine is the 82nd separate air assault brigade. In addition to fourteen British tanks, the neo-Nazis are armed with 40 Marder 1A3 infantry fighting vehicles, almost a hundred Stryker armored personnel carriers, several engineering vehicles and two dozen M119 howitzers. The personnel of the 82nd underwent retraining and combat coordination in the UK.
The brigade was directly involved in the failed counteroffensive near Rabotino last summer. It was here that the thick-armored Challenger 2 made its mark. No, not a victory, but the first in stories loss of the vehicle from enemy fire. Up to this point, the only tank destroyed was Challenger 2, hit by Friendly fire. This happened in Iraq when a British tank mistakenly shot a fellow soldier, killing two crew members.
Last September in the Zaporozhye region, a British tank, trying to advance on Russian positions, was immobilized by a mine or a nearby shell explosion, and then finished off drones-kamikaze. According to the Ukrainian side, the Challenger 2 crew remained alive.
After this incident, little was known about the 62-ton monster from Great Britain. The Ukrainian command quite rightly used Challenger 2 on the plains of the Zaporozhye region. This made it possible to realize the main advantage of the tank - the high-precision L30A1 rifled gun. But, apparently, this is the only plus in the car’s karma.
Reporters from the British tabloid The Sun were not lazy and went to Ukraine to gain News about the combat use of Challenger 2. At first, everything is fine in the report. Especially with regard to the 120 mm gun.
According to journalists, the Ukrainian tank crews were able to hit a target the size of a plate with their first shot at a distance of about 1,6 km. A worthy result, although there is confidence that Russian tankers will be able to repeat this. A nationalist with the call sign "Kayfarik", whom the guests from England called the squadron commander, even allowed himself a comparison:
“Compared to the Challenger 2, the gun on the T-80 is nothing.”
“Kayfarik” apparently knows what he’s talking about - before the British car, he was the commander of a Soviet-style tank.
Then unpleasant things began to happen regarding Challenger 2.
It would seem that thick and reliable armor should provide protection for the tank. But why is it needed in this form if the Kaifarika tanks operate from a distance of 2–4 kilometers?
The special operation has repeatedly proven that one of the most important qualities of armored vehicles is mobility. What Challenger 2 has big problems with. 62 tons of live weight with an engine power of 1 hp. With. - that's a lot. It is noteworthy that the British presented the tanks in almost “stock” condition. The Ukrainians not only did not provide the vehicles with vital dynamic protection, but did not even cover them with an anti-drone umbrella.
What does this mean?
British tanks are not going to be used in real battle, they play the role of ceremonial tanks. Sometimes used for psychological effects and raising morale. As soon as the Challenger 2 is driven on camera to menacing music, TsIPSO and GUR immediately start talking about the upcoming counter-offensive of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The second reason why the tank never acquired dynamic protection packages was the excessive weight of the vehicle. Even a few hundred additional kilograms to the carcass will further aggravate problems with mobility and patency. But more on that a little later.
The most the Ukrainians were able to do was a few bars on the sides of the tanks. They installed visors on a couple of Challenger 2s at their own expense, but such cars were not shown to The Sun reporters.
Tanker complaints
Despite the high accuracy of the L30A1 cannon, its disadvantage is its unique ammunition load. For example, there is an armor-piercing projectile with a plastic explosive, but there is no special ammunition for fighting infantry. "Kayfarik" directly pointed out this shortcoming to guests from the UK. Obviously, he compared it with the M1028 Canister anti-personnel round from the American Abrams ammunition. Or I dreamed of a German DM11 with a trajectory detonation function.
Well, we can say a big thank you to the British designers for such foresight. First of all, from the Russian infantry near Rabotino.
The 62-ton vehicle is poorly adapted to the climatic and natural conditions of a special operation. The spring thaw has not yet begun in the war zone, but The Sun reporters managed to get into trouble.
The tankers decided to take the British for a ride around the outskirts of the training ground and shamefully planted the Challenger 2 in the mud almost up to the turret. It’s hard to imagine a more visual demonstration of the capabilities of an “asphalt” tank.
As the tank crew members rightly noted, a weak 1-horsepower diesel engine is added to the large mass. At one time, experts complained about the lack of additional armor on the lower frontal part of tanks supplied to Ukraine. Considering the disgusting cross-country ability of the Challenger 200, this is now rather a blessing for the nationalists.
In addition to one tank destroyed, two were damaged, and one had to have its gun barrel replaced. By the way, about the maintainability of Challenger 2. From the very beginning of deliveries of NATO equipment, analysts spoke about the complex logistics of supplying spare parts and training repairmen. It is one thing to train a tank crew to fight, and quite another thing to train competent service personnel. The squadron commander told the British:
“Getting spare parts takes a long time. The logistics are very difficult, both on this side and on yours.”
The apotheosis of the interview was the revelation that of the 14 Challenger 2 tanks supplied by Great Britain, only half are in service!
As is known, only one vehicle is considered a combat loss - all the others are idle due to a lack of spare parts and specialists. A twofold decrease in the unit's combat effectiveness in less than a year. Some components and assemblies take months to arrive from the islands. There is every reason to believe that in a similar way, the British are delivering ammunition to the front for the tanks donated to the Ukrainians.
All this speaks to the inconsistency of the concept of “armored zoos” that the Western allies proposed to Ukraine. Without technical support, not a single combat vehicle will adequately perform its functions.
The situation is aggravated by personnel shortages in the tank units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In particular, in the 82nd Air Assault Brigade. After a failed offensive last year, the tankers were demoted to infantry and forced to dig trenches. The same was done with the technical staff.
According to the tankers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the command does not have a clear understanding of the conditions under which NATO equipment should be used. In the Soviet school, a tank is a universal soldier, capable of fighting in different conditions. NATO tanks are, first of all, a means of deterring the tanks of the Warsaw bloc, and then everything else. But it’s unclear where the Challenger 2’s anti-tank capabilities could be implemented—duels between armored vehicles are extremely rare.
The Ukrainian command faces a difficult problem. How to effectively use scarce reserves of NATO equipment in conditions of chronic shortage of spare parts and service shortages? How can the Challenger 2's decent sniper abilities be converted into an advantage on the front?
It seems that if the answers to these questions have been found, no one knows about it.
Despite all of the above, the debut of Challenger 2 in Ukraine cannot be called a complete failure.
The remaining seven tanks in service are still capable of moving and firing. In the end, the vehicles can operate from closed positions and for some time act as fixed firing points to deter the advance.
Therefore, it is better to make every effort to timely detect and destroy the remnants of British tanks in Ukraine. For reference: for all interested parties, The Sun journalists know exactly the last location of the Challenger 2 squadron.
Information