Academy 13426 1/72 British Army Challenger Mk.3 Tank, Plastic Model Kit (A13426)

Contents

Model Specifications

• Scale: 1:72
• Detailed representation of FV4030 Challenger Mk 3 Tank
• High quality plastic model kit
• Perfect for model makers of all levels.

British main battle tank (MBT) in service from 1983 to 2001. It is equipped with a 120 mm L11A5 rifled gun (later equipped with the L30A1), 7.62 mm L8A2 and 7.62 mm L37A2 machine guns mounted on the turret roof. Equipment includes nearly impenetrable Chobham composite armor that protects against threats including kinetic energy penetrating rounds and high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds. Other defensive measures include a laser warning system and smoke grenade launchers. Challenger 1 performed very reliably in the 1991 Gulf War and suffered no casualties. The Mk 3 has passive armor plates and extra storage compartments for 120 mm shells.

Challenger 1 was a British main battle tank from the Cold War era. The first prototypes of this vehicle were produced in the mid-1970s, and mass production took place between 1982 and 1990. A total of more than 400 vehicles of this model were produced. The vehicle was powered by a single 1200 horsepower Rolls-Royce CV-12 diesel engine. Its armament consisted of a single 120 mm L11A5 rifled gun and two 7.62 mm machine guns.

The Challenger 1 was developed as the British Army's new main battle tank to replace the Chieftain series. However, its design was based on many elements of the Shir-2, which was to be produced for Iran but was based on the Chieftain tank. The new tank, called Challenger 1 by the British Army, had much better Chobham armor compared to its predecessor, which provided very good protection against HEAT rounds, for example. It also received a new more powerful engine and other electronic equipment. However, the vehicle was not without problems - first of all, it had very low performance and maneuverability compared to tanks such as the Leopard 2 or M1 Abrams. Its main armament was also inferior to the 120 mm smoothbore guns. Considering all these shortcomings, the vehicle manufacturer Vickers Defense Systems decided to improve it and create the Challenger 2 tank. However, it should be added that, despite their shortcomings, Challenger 1 tanks performed very well during the First Gulf War (1990-1991). These types of vehicles were in the British Army inventory until 2001.