Challenger 2 (YouTube Cup)

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This page is about the gift British medium tank Challenger 2 (YouTube Cup). For other versions, see Challenger 2 (Family).
␙Challenger 2
uk_challenger_ii.png
GarageImage Challenger 2 (YouTube Cup).jpg
␙Challenger 2
AB RB SB
11.3 11.3 11.3
Class:
Show in game

Description

The Challenger 2 started development shortly after the introduction of the Challenger 1, since Vickers anticipated that new requirements for a next generation MBT will eventually arrive, when this were sent Vickers immediately submitted their proposal for the Challenger 2. Even when put against other western MBTs like the Leopard 2, Leclerc and M1 Abrams the Challenger 2 was able to complete the test and was found to be a successful proposal. The first Challenger 2 tanks were delivered to the tank regiments by 1994. The Challenger 2 participated in several operations during the '90s and into the 2000s, ranging from peacekeeping missions on the Balkans to military interventions in Iraq. A number of Challenger 2 MBTs have also been exported to Oman, with this nation being the only operator of the Challenger 2, besides the UK. Since 2008 the Challenger 2 has been upgraded with new defensive systems and upgrades to the electronic equipment.

It was introduced during Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy" as a grand prize for the 2019 YouTube Cup. The Challenger 2 is a very special top-rank main battle tank. It has access to a powerful cannon, but compared to other nations, it does not have access to HEAT ammunition, which makes it a little harder dealing with verylightly armoured vehicles that are more easily destroyed with explosive rounds. The mobility is mediocre, it is a very heavy vehicle and accelerates slowly, turning and changing direction will make you lose a lot of speed. However, your engine is still very powerful, and the top speed is very good at 60 km/h, while the reverse speed is excellent at 38 km/h. The vehicle has a good protection on the turret, however you should avoid exposing your hull, since it lacks composite armour in the lower front plate.

General info

Survivability and armour

ERA
Effective action against the cumulative ammunition
Composite armour
Balanced protection against all types of ammunition
Smoke grenades
Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle
ESS
Creation of a smoke screen in the direction of movement of the vehicle
Armourfront / side / back
Hull130 / 45 / 20
Turret270 / 90 / 63
Crew4 people
Visibility88 %

Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.

Armour type:

Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 38 mm (79-82°), 50* mm (60°) Upper glacis
70 mm (28°) Lower glacis
60 mm (84°-0°) Driver hatch
25 mm Top
50 mm
38 mm (14°) + 4 mm Bottom
25 mm (29-30°) + 4 mm 20 mm
25 mm (71-74°) Sides
10 mm Engine grille
Turret 50* mm (50°)
30 mm (50-0°), 4 mm Gun mantlet
38 mm (0-90°) Turret cast
20 mm (6-7°) Front
25 mm (6°) Mid right
80 mm (6°) Mid
10 mm (6-7°) Rear
10 mm (17-18°)
38 mm (82°)
10 mm (80-90°) Rear
38 mm (75-78°)
20 mm (71°) Sides
38 mm (82-79°) Turret cast
Cupola 60 mm 60 mm 60 mm 60 mm

Notes:

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB66 / 42 km/h
RB and SB60 / 38 km/h
Number of gears8 forward
4 back
Weight62.5 t
Engine power
AB2 322 hp
RB and SB1 217 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB37.2 hp/t
RB and SB19.5 hp/t

Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.

Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 66 42 62.5 _,___ 2,322 __.__ 37.15
Realistic 60 38 _,___ 1,217 __.__ 19.47

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB3 932 → 6 845 Sl icon.png
RB3 843 → 6 690 Sl icon.png
SB4 861 → 8 463 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications212 200 Rp icon.png
350 000 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost2 800 Ge icon.png
Crew training200 000 Sl icon.png
Experts710 000 Sl icon.png
Aces2 100 Ge icon.png
Research Aces1 080 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
150 / 190 / 210 % Sl icon.png
232 / 232 / 232 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Research:
9 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
320 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
8 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
13 000 Sl icon.png
290 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
8 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
13 000 Sl icon.png
290 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
14 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
22 000 Sl icon.png
490 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
12 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
19 000 Sl icon.png
420 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
12 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
19 000 Sl icon.png
420 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
2 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
320 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
2 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
13 000 Sl icon.png
290 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement uk.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
14 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
22 000 Sl icon.png
490 Ge icon.png
Mods engine smoke screen system.png
ESS
Research:
12 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
19 000 Sl icon.png
420 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
9 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
320 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
120mm_britain_Smoke_ammo_pack
Research:
9 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
320 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
120mm_britain_L26_APDSFS_ammo_pack
Research:
9 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
320 Ge icon.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
8 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
13 000 Sl icon.png
290 Ge icon.png
Mods smoke screen.png
Smoke grenade
Research:
8 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
13 000 Sl icon.png
290 Ge icon.png
Mods thermal sight.png
NVD
Research:
8 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
13 000 Sl icon.png
290 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
14 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
22 000 Sl icon.png
490 Ge icon.png
Mods tank additional armor.png
Dorchester 2E
Research:
14 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
22 000 Sl icon.png
490 Ge icon.png
Mods tank laser rangefinder.png
Laser rangefinder
Research:
12 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
19 000 Sl icon.png
420 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
120mm_britain_L27_APDSFS_ammo_pack
Research:
12 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
19 000 Sl icon.png
420 Ge icon.png
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Research:
12 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
19 000 Sl icon.png
420 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Laser rangefinder
Reduces the error and increases the maximum measurable distance of the rangefinder
Night vision device
Improves visibility by enhancing natural light or active illumination.
Thermal imager
Allows to see thermal radiation in the infrared range day and night

Main armament

Two-plane stabilizer
Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving
Ammunition50 rounds
First-order4 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
6.5 → 5.0 s
Vertical guidance-10° / 20°
Main article: L30A1 (120 mm)

Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: {{main|Name of the weapon}}. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.

120 mm L30A1 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 50 -10°/+20° ±180° Two-plane 29.5 40.8 49.6 54.8 58.4 6.50 5.75 5.30 5.00
Realistic 18.4 21.7 26.4 29.1 31.0

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
Shot L23A1 APFSDS 396 394 387 376 367 357
Shell L31A7 HESH 152 152 152 152 152 152
L26 APFSDS 493 491 487 481 474 468
L27A1 APFSDS 564 562 557 551 545 538
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
mass (kg)
Fuse delay
(m)
Fuse sensitivity
(mm)
Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (kg)
Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
Shot L23A1 APFSDS 1,535 3.89 - - - 78° 80° 81°
Shell L31A7 HESH 670 17.34 0.1 4 6.53 73° 77° 80°
L26 APFSDS 1,650 4.3 - - - 78° 80° 81°
L27A1 APFSDS 1,650 4.3 - - - 78° 80° 81°
Smoke shell characteristics
Ammunition Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
mass (kg)
Screen radius
(m)
Screen deploy
time (s)
Screen hold
time (s)
Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (g)
L34 670 17.1 20 5 25 50

Ammo racks

Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
4th
rack empty
5th
rack empty
6th
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
50 48 (+2)

45 (+5)

45 (+5)

39 (+11)

43 (+7)

31 (+19)

41 (+9)

22 (+28)

34 (+16)

14 (+36)

29 (+21)

(+45)

No

Machine guns

Ammunition4 000 rounds
Belt capacity2 000 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate600 shots/min

The Challenger 2 possesses one pintle-mounted 7.62 mm machine gun and one coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun. While these aren't particularly effective against tanks, they can be used as a aircraft deterrent, and lucky shots may result in critical damage or pilot snipes. Besides anti-aircraft fire, they're useful for clearing light obstacles and the crew of open-top vehicles.

7.62 mm L37A2
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Pintle 1,700 (100) 650 -10°/+25° ±180°
7.62 mm L94A1
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 4,000 (2,000) 600 N/A N/A

Usage in battles

Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Extremely accurate main cannon with a fast reload, particularly for a 120 mm; also good gunner optics
  • 10° of gun depression is highly useful and also increases the extremely good turret cheek protection
  • 36 km/h reverse speed, a far cry from the early poor reverse speed of other British MBTs
  • Has ESS, smoke shells and smoke grenades, a potential combat support tank
  • Excellent armour protection levels and can get upgraded chemical protection with Dorchester armour pack
  • Ammunition on the turret is inert; less vulnerable to overpenetrating shots by APFSDS, like on Ariete. (NATO tanks with "blowout panel" as IPM1, get sniped through the turret)

Cons:

  • A CR2 with an exposed hull is extremely vulnerable because of the negligible LFP armour
  • Cannon mantlet area has unreliable armour; this is the worst weak spot as is impossible to hide while firing
  • The frontal turret roof is somewhat vulnerable to chemical rounds when the optics or the machine gun is hit
  • Ammunition propellants are strewn inside the vehicle; hull or side penetrations often result in ammo detonation (Avoidable with only 16 shells loaded)
  • Sub-par acceleration and top speed relative to many other MBTs
  • Prior to mobility upgrades being researched, manual neutral gear selection is required for reasonable hull traverse

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

Media

Skins
  • Skins and camouflages for the Challenger 2 can be used for the Challenger 2 (YouTube Cup).

See also

Related development

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • other literature.


Britain medium tanks
Valentine  Valentine I · Valentine IX · Valentine XI
Cromwell  Cromwell I · Cromwell V · Cromwell V (RP-3)
Cromwell derivatives  Challenger · Avenger · Comet I · Comet I "Iron Duke IV" · Charioteer Mk VII
Centurion  Centurion Mk 1 · Centurion Mk.2 · Centurion Mk 3 · Centurion Mk.5 AVRE · Centurion Mk 10 · Centurion Action X · FV4202
Vickers MBT  Vickers Mk.1 · Vickers Mk.3 · Vickers Mk.7
Chieftain  Chieftain Mk 3 · Chieftain Mk 5 · Chieftain Mk 10
Challenger 1  Challenger Mk.2 · Challenger Mk.3 · Challenger DS
Challenger 2  Challenger 2 · Challenger 2 (2F) · Challenger 2 TES · Challenger 2 OES · Challenger 2E · Challenger 2 Black Night
Challenger 3  Challenger 3 TD
Australia  A.C.I · A.C.IV · Centurion Mk.5/1
South Africa  Olifant Mk.1A · Olifant Mk.2 · TTD
India  Vijayanta · Bhishma TWMP
Israel  ▄Sho't Kal Dalet
Jordan  Khalid
Sweden  ▄Strv 81 (RB 52)
USA  Grant I · Sherman II · Sherman Firefly · Sherman IC "Trzyniec"