Challenger 2 OES

This page is about the premium British medium tank Challenger 2 OES. For other versions, see Challenger 2 (Family).

Challenger 2 OES

Challenger 2 OES

Britain

VII Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
11.3	11.3	11.3

Class:

PREMIUM

Medium tank

Purchase:9 620

Show in game

Description

The Challenger 2 OES is a modification for the tank made to improve its survivability in high intensity battles. With the introduction of ERA blocks covering the sides and front of the vehicle, this protection is meant to deal specially against RPGs and ATGMs in urban combat. The vehicle also received updated protection against IEDs. The upgrade started development based on the Challenger 2 TES, which is almost identical, this upgrade was created as a response to the asymmetric warfare scenario of Iraq 2002, in which IEDs and urban combat doomed many NATO tanks due to their poor protection on the sides. The US developed a similar upgrade with the TUSK ERA package for their M1 Abram tanks.

Introduced in Update "Air Superiority", the Challenger 2 OES is very similar to other Challenger 2 tanks. However the increased weight due to the ERA and added composite screens does not include an upgraded engine, which means that the mobility of the Challenger 2 OES is mediocre when compared to earlier Challenger 2s. However, this comes with increased protection against both APFSDS projectiles and ATGMs, the ERA and composite screens are enough to increase the protection against other tanks in critical areas, while they also increase the chances of enemy ATGMs not penetrating the vehicle on the sides of the tank and the turret. However the weak spot in the lower front plate is still present so take that into consideration and hide your hull whenever possible.

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 / 38 / 50

Turret270 / 80 / 58

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	___ mm	___ mm Top ___ mm Bottom	___ mm	___ - ___ mm
Turret	___ - ___ mm Turret front ___ mm Gun mantlet	___ - ___ mm	___ - ___ mm	___ - ___ mm
Cupola	___ mm	___ mm	___ mm	___ mm

Notes:

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB66 / 42 km/h

RB and SB60 / 38 km/h

Number of gears8 forward

4 back

Weight74.8 t

Engine power

AB2 322 hp

RB and SB1 217 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB31.0 hp/t

RB and SB16.3 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	74.8	1,886	2,322	25.21	31.04
Realistic	60	38		1,076	1,217	14.39	16.27

Modifications and economy

Repair cost

AB3 506

RB3 375

SB4 194

Crew training10 000

Experts1 560 000

Aces2 200

Research Aces2 420 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

2 × 150 / 190 / 210 %

2 × 244 / 244 / 244 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Suspension Brake System Filters Transmission Engine	Improved Parts Improved FPE Crew Replenishment ESS	Horizontal Drive 120mm_britain_Smoke_ammo_pack 120mm_britain_L26_APDSFS_ammo_pack Adjustment of Fire NVD Elevation Mechanism Smoke grenade Laser rangefinder 120mm_britain_L27_APDSFS_ammo_pack Artillery Support

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

120 mm L30A1 cannon

Two-plane stabilizer

Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving

Ammunition49 rounds

First-order4 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

6.5 → 5.0 s

Vertical guidance-10° / 20°

The Challenger 2 OES is equipped with the L30A1 120mm rifled gun. This artillery piece is noted for its distinctive rifling, which enhances the accuracy and stability of its ammunition.

Reloading Speed: The L30A1 has a slower reloading speed compared to modern smoothbore guns found on other main battle tanks. This can affect its ability to deliver rapid successive shots.

Ballistics: The rifled design aids in maintaining a tighter spin on the fired shells, improving their trajectory and accuracy over long distances.

Power of Shells: The gun fires a variety of shells including armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS), high-explosive squash head (HESH), and more. These shells are capable of penetrating modern armor and inflicting significant damage.

Flexibility of Fire: The gun mount and turret provide reasonable agility in targeting. However, the overall speed at which the gun can switch targets and fire is moderated by its mechanical loading system.

Ammunition Types and Usage

The L30A1 uses several types of ammunition:

APFSDS: Ideal for engaging modern armored vehicles at long distances.

HESH: Effective against lighter armored vehicles and for causing internal spalling on heavier armor.

Smoke rounds: Useful for creating smoke screens to cover movements or obscure vision.

Advice on Ammunition Storage and Usage

Ammunition Storage: It is advisable to carry a balanced mix of APFSDS and HESH shells based on the mission profile, with a few smoke rounds for tactical flexibility.

Usage Tips: Utilize APFSDS rounds for long-range engagements against heavily armored targets. Switch to HESH for closer encounters or against buildings and lighter armored vehicles to maximize damage.

.

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	49	-10°/+20°	±180°	Two-plane	29.5	40.8	49.6	54.9	58.4	6.50	5.75	5.30	5.00
Realistic					18.4	21.7	26.4	29.2	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
49	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__

Machine guns

12.7 mm M2HB machine gun

Ammunition1 000 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate575 shots/min

Vertical guidance-10° / 50°

7.62 mm L94A1 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition2 000 rounds

Belt capacity2 000 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate600 shots/min

Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.

12.7 mm M2HB
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Pintle	1,000 (200)	575	-10°/+50°	±180°

7.62 mm L94A1
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	2,000 (2,000)	600	-	-

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:

• Retains pros from previous challenger 2:
  • Impressive chemical protection on the front and sides
  • Impressive kinetic protection on either side of the cannon breech, allowing for efficient hull down combat
  • Access to unique and powerful HESH round
  • Very accurate L30A1 120 mm gun, can even fire HESH accurately at a range of several kilometres
  • Fast reload
• Roof mounted machine gun has access to thermal and can be used as a makeshift CITV for scouting (but not firing, unfortunately)
• Access to 12.7 mm machine gun, a rare luxury on British tanks
• Since it is a premium tank, its RP and SL gains are doubled and it can research any British tanks currently in the game

Cons:

• The jammer is useless in-game and begs other tanks to scout it out or use HE on it
• Heaviest MBT in the game with a very poor hp/ton ratio; very poor acceleration
• Slow turret traverse speed for the BR
• Very poor steering, turning is slow and costs a great deal of speed, which takes a long time to regain
• In most situations, can only reach around 40 km/h (25 mph)
• Also retains weaknesses of previous challenger 2 models:
  • Same ammunition options as the previous Challengers
  • Frontal armour is weak at the lower frontal plate, drivers port, and cannon breech
  • L27A1 has low penetration compared to other top rank NATO ammunition, however reload speed does compensate for this
  • Cannot maintain the short reload time after the first-stage ammo rack (4 rounds) has been depleted

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 OES from live.warthunder.com.

See also

Related development

• Challenger 2 (Family)

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

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