Telford-built battle tank trial success
The first mobility trials for the British Army’s new Challenger 3 Main Battle Tank have been completed, marking a significant step forward for the programme. The trials were undertaken by Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) in conjunction with the Authority and QinetiQ at a number of UK locations.
The trials saw a pre-production vehicle cover almost 800km on both road and cross-country terrain. The main goal was to gather data on the tank’s noise and vibration, how it affects the crew, and the impact on the ammunition inside the vehicle. The data gathered will now be used to refine the vehicle’s design and will also be used to programme a new Turret Test Rig at the Telford facility.
This test rig will enable the running of battlefield missions from the local facility, which will contribute to the tank’s reliability growth trials in 2026. The programme is currently in its demonstration phase, with the pre-production vehicles manufactured at the RBSL site in Telford undergoing a series of tests.
The Challenger 3 programme, a contract valued at over £800 million, will see 148 of the tanks enter service by the end of 2030. It has brought a £40 million investment to the Telford facility and is creating 300 highly skilled jobs at RBSL, along with 450 jobs across the wider UK supply chain.
Dean Pask, Challenger 3 Programme Director at RBSL, said: “Trials are a critical stage in developing a new armoured vehicle, pushing our Main Battle Tank to the limits to prove its performance and capability.” The next phase for the tank will be preparing for crewed live firing, a step that will show the vehicle is safe for manned operation.
The new Challenger 3 will be fitted with a next-generation modular armour system to give it greater survivability and will be equipped with a new 120mm smoothbore gun.
