Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) has completed a series of Battlefield Mission serials for the Challenger 3 main battle tank, marking what the company describes as an important step forward in the programme’s development activity, according to a post on the company’s social media.
The trial platforms operated in representative conditions across a range of activities including cross-country mobility, road running, gunnery equipment operation, and full crew drills. Data and observations gathered are being fed directly back into the engineering baseline to support continuous improvement and ongoing maturation of the platform.
Nick, RBSL Programme Lead for Verification, said the activity was generating exactly the learning the programme needed at this stage. “Every serial helps build understanding, improve processes and strengthen confidence as we prepare for future formal trials.”
Rheinmetall UK continues to make strong progress on #Challenger3 (CR3) development activity, with recent Battlefield Mission (BFM) serials marking an important step forward for the programme. pic.twitter.com/TQpV00TXgs
— RBSL (@RH_BAES_Land) May 21, 2026
RBSL said the serials were also helping validate procedures, instrumentation, and trial methodologies ahead of formal trial phases. The work is being delivered in close collaboration with MoD stakeholders and industry partners.
Challenger 3 is the upgrade programme for the British Army’s Challenger 2 fleet, incorporating a new turret with a 120mm smoothbore gun compatible with NATO standard ammunition, a new fire control system, and improved sights. The upgrade is being delivered by RBSL, the joint venture between Rheinmetall and BAE Systems. The Army has contracted for 148 tanks to be upgraded to the Challenger 3 standard.
The UK should make efforts to acquire Omans challenger 2 tanks even if we don’t initially plan to use them. Challenger 3 appears to be one of the most capable MBTs on the planet and the program cost is quite modest. There may be future room to growth fleet and the only limitation appears to be the older hulls to work with although I have noticed that BAE appears to be offering it for export presumably with new hulls manufactured.
However a large reserve fleet of challenger 2 hulls in storage would be very useful either way.
If Oman was in a hurry to rid itself of those 38(?) tanks, would not Ukraine be a better recipient? At least there, they could make up BCRs for the UAF and make up a larger force.
Which then feeds into the argument that perhaps, if we have more hulls which could be returned to service (hold that thought), should they not be donated to the UAF.
Economics. As a generalisation, Central Europe has often been a more cost effective place for manufacturing; little known fact, our steel for HS2 was coming from Ukraine; should we not donate those hulls declared unserviceable to the Ukrainians who might possibly make them battle worthy at less cost than the UK could hope to achieve?
Omani challengers are a different beast compared to our challengers! They are not compatible to be converted to CR3!
I thought the only changes were to ‘desert proof’ them ie better air flow and sand filters? Will that effect the Ch3 upgrade?
If unmanned vehicles are the way forward, rather than convert 40 year old second hand hills, couldn’t they build an unmanned op optionally manned tracked vehicle to accompany C3 at less risk? It could be smaller sized , mobile enough to keep pace with C3. A loyal wingman with Brimstone, Javelin or Martlet , or a drone deck to auto launch a drone so the tank doesn’t need to expose itself.
That seems to be what Ajax should be in the modern age post Ukr war
AI will be able to control these reducing workload on the C2 or Ajax crew, they deploy to create a wider sensor net and trip wire.
You don’t necessarily need 80 tonne monsters anymore.
Agree. The MoD would be wise to upgrade every possible C2 to C3 standard. If we then place 60 tanks into storage then that is fine, they are an insurance policy against a major conflict.
Omani C2s would be a very good idea if they are happy to sell them or give them back to us, although I can see the MoD simply handing them over to Ukraine.
For a pitiful small sum of money, probably circa £100 million we could upgrade all C2s to C3 and probably buy back Omani C2s, allowing Oman to buy K2s or M1A2s
148, a ridiculous and insufficient number. Of course, this government didn’t order it because they haven’t ordered anything other than bringing in and harboring illegal immigrants to change the country’s demographics. Isn’t that genocide?
Cobblers would be more apt.
That’s not being done by illegal immigration. Illegal immigration numbers are a drop in the ocean compared to the legal immigration numbers. When you go around our towns/cities and see the massive demographics change, that’s all happened via legal means. The governments over the last few decades have done that through choice with their policy.
Shut up you melt.
It says “Tank”.
I’m hoping we actually get more than one.
You never know with this bunch of DIP sticks at the helm !
Why do we need a large army? 148 tanks will do, as will 72 RCH 155s, the way things are going the UK needs a larger Navy, better air defence and drone defence. Not a massive tanding Army. The Polish have got that covered as the Germand are building up thiers,oyrs Army would never get to fight on time and does not bring that much to the battle.
How ever our Navy if worked is very important and use full, we can not have it all, no matter how up set some get we do not need a big Army any more, just a well equipt one.
Not necessarily. The small size of the BEF in 1914 and 1939 compared with the French and German armies may have been a major factor in the failure to deter Germany. In both wars, it took 2 years to expand the British Army and even longer for it to become competent.
It would take longer still now, with no standing TA units ready to be mobilised.
The same problem affects the RN and RAF. We have no reserve fleets and no equivalent to the US air national guard.
That ERA looks very slender, compared to the overly bulky bricks we normally see.
How many rounds of 120 smoothbore have they squeezed in? I recall that earlier proposal meant Challenger with smoothbore could only carry 22 rounds. That would double the number of resupplies needed and take time.
I want to see the UK building MBTs again, only this time as remote vehicles. The battlefield is changing fast to drones and remote vehicles, and within the next decade the market for such weapons will increase tenfold. A drone MBT may sound far-fetched in 2026; however, by 2050 I’m sure they will be commonplace, working alongside crewed MBTs. The UK should venture back into the business of heavy armour manufacturing; it’s what we have excelled at in the past and should do again.