Challenger 3

A deep rebuild of the British Army's Challenger 2 hull, replacing the rifled gun with a NATO-standard 120 mm smoothbore and adding a new turret, modern fire control and Trophy active protection. Deliveries to the British Army are planned through the late 2020s.

Max speed

60 km/h

Range

450 km

Combat weight

66,000 kg

💲 Approximate program cost per upgraded unit

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.: 60 km/h

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Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.: 450 km

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Power-to-weight Engine power per tonne of vehicle weight. Higher means better acceleration and cross-country mobility.: 19.3 hp/t

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Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.: 120 mm Rheinmetall L/55A1 smoothbore
Secondary armament Additional weapons: coaxial MG, remote weapon station, gun pods.: 7.62 mm coaxial + remote weapon station machine guns
Caliber Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better — ammunition commonality matters.: 120 mm
Ammunition Rounds carried (main gun) or standard magazine capacity.: 40

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Protection

Armor, countermeasures and survivability.

Armor Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified.: Composite armor with modular add-on packages
Active protection Hard-kill APS (Trophy, Arena, Afganit) intercepts incoming projectiles before impact.: Trophy
Reactive armor Explosive reactive armor (ERA) blocks that disrupt shaped-charge jets.: No
Countermeasures Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers.: Trophy APS, smoke grenade launchers
NBC protection Sealed crew compartment with overpressure filtration for nuclear/biological/chemical environments.: Yes

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 8.3 m
Width Overall width — matters for rail/road transport of vehicles.: 3.5 m
Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.: 2.5 m
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.: 66,000 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.: 4

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Engine Powerplant model and type.: Perkins CV12 diesel
Engine power Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.: 1,200 hp

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Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…: Diesel

Sensors & avionics

Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.

Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.: new-generation fire control system, commander's panoramic sight
Thermal imaging Thermal sights for night and obscured-visibility operations.: Yes

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Unit cost Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.: $10,000,000

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Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 0

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Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 1

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Specifications compiled from public Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-01.

Frequently asked questions

What is the top speed of the Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) Challenger 3? +

The Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) Challenger 3 has a maximum speed of 60 km/h.

What is the range of the Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) Challenger 3? +

The Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) Challenger 3 has a maximum range of 450 km.

How much does the Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) Challenger 3 weigh? +

The Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) Challenger 3 has a combat weight of 66,000 kg.

How many crew does the Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) Challenger 3 require? +

The Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) Challenger 3 requires a crew of 4.

What is the main armament of the Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) Challenger 3? +

The Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) Challenger 3's primary weapon is the 120 mm Rheinmetall L/55A1 smoothbore.

What engine does the Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) Challenger 3 use? +

The Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) Challenger 3 is powered by the Perkins CV12 diesel.

What is the Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) Challenger 3 used for? +

The Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) Challenger 3 is a main battle tank typically used for anti armor, infantry combat.

How many countries operate the Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) Challenger 3? +

The Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) Challenger 3 is operated by 1 countries.

How much does the Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) Challenger 3 cost? +

The Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) Challenger 3 has an approximate unit cost of 10,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.