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Topic: Land Warfare Blog Brand: The Buzz Region: Europe Tags: Challenger 2, Main Battle Tanks, Tanks, Ukraine War, and United Kingdom The UK Won’t Commit to Sending Challenger 2 Tanks to Ukraine January 14, 2026 By: Peter Suciu
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As the British Army prepares to replace its aging—but still effective—Challenger 2 tanks with newer Challenger 3 ones, no determination has yet been made on what to do with them.
The United Kingdom’s now-in-development Challenger 3 tank could be the most capable main battle tank (MBT) ever produced for the British Army—a notable improvement given that the British pioneered tank development during World War I.
Designed by Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL), the Challenger 3 features next-generation modular armor, advanced communications, and a powerful 120mm L55A1 smoothbore gun. However, the Challenger 3 isn’t a new platform; it is a significant upgrade and modernization of the Challenger 2, integrating advanced technologies into the MBT’s hulls.
In total, 148 of the British Army’s Challenger 2s will receive the upgrade, allowing the tanks to remain in service into the 2040s or later. Nearly an equal number of Challenger 2s won’t be updated, and it is now unclear what will happen to those MBTs.
UK Minister of Defence Luke Pollard told British lawmakers that no decision has been made on what could happen to the 140 MBTs that won’t receive the upgrade.
“A decision on what will happen to the Challenger 2 platforms not being used as part of the Challenger 3 programme has not yet been taken,” Pollard explained in written parliamentary answers to Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty.
There have been calls to transfer the vehicles to Ukraine, as the British Army has moved forward with plans to reduce its tank fleet, but that isn’t currently an option. “The remaining vehicles have previously been variously described as potential sources of spares, candidates for disposal, or assets that could be held in reserve,” the UK Defence Journal reported.
Other options include using the tanks for training and support, but there seems to be no indication regarding any “sale” or “donation” of the tanks.
The Challenger 2 Tank’s Solid Performance in Ukraine
London has already provided 14 Challenger MBTs to Ukraine, which first arrived in June 2023. Development of the Challenger 2 began at the end of the Cold War, but it did not enter service until 1998. Around 440 vehicles were produced, with Oman as the sole export customer.
Its first deployments were in peacekeeping missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it gained fame for surviving multiple RPG attacks during the Iraq War. One Challenger 2 reportedly survived 14 RPG and MILAN missile attacks. The only Challenger 2 lost in combat in the Middle East was the result of a friendly-fire “blue on blue” incident in Basra in 2003 when another British MBT mistook it for an enemy tank.
Its reputation as being “nearly indestructible” continued until September 2023, when one was destroyed in the fighting in Ukraine. It served as a reminder that wartime losses are inevitable. More importantly, it highlighted the vehicle’s “survivability”: the tank’s turret remained intact, and the crew was able to exit the vehicle and reach safety.
Given those facts, it is likely that the British Army will continue to operate the aging tanks as second-line vehicles, but should the UK offer any to Ukraine, they’d likely be welcomed by Kyiv.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.
Image: Shutterstock / Andrew Harker.
The post The UK Won’t Commit to Sending Challenger 2 Tanks to Ukraine appeared first on The National Interest.
Источник: nationalinterest.org