The first prototype of the Challenger 3 main battle tank was unveiled in the UK during the International Armored Vehicles 2024 (IAV 2024) conference.

The photos were released on the event’s first day by analyst Sonny Butterworth on the social network X.

Testing for this prototype is scheduled to begin in a few weeks.

In September, Militarnyi reported that the UK was expediting the program to upgrade Challenger 2 tanks to the Challenger 3 level.

The tank is expected to be adopted in 2025, two years earlier than the originally planned 2027 date.

The upgrade process will take place at the new Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) facility in Telford, which specializes in armored vehicle production.

The UK Ministry of Defence plans to upgrade a total of 147 tanks.

Challenger 3

The Challenger 3 tank will use the hulls from the Challenger 2 tank, which will undergo an in-depth modernization process.

Challenger 3 receives an upgrade to its armor away from the Chobham/Dorchester armor of its predecessor in favor of Dstl’s new Epsom and Farnham modular armor. The hull will undergo a life-extension process, enabling its further use until the 2050s-2060s.

The updated tank will be armed with a German L55A1 120mm smoothbore gun with a length of 55 calibers, which can fire unitary shells. The new turrets are manufactured by welding, a departure from the casting method used in the production of Challenger 2.

In January 2024, Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) was awarded a contract to supply a new modular armor protection system for the Challenger 3 main battle tank.

The new modular armor protection, which provides a significant increase in the survivability of the combat vehicle, was developed by Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land and the British Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl).