Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land has awarded Thales UK a 90 million pound ($122 million) contract to deliver next-generation sights for the British Army’s Challenger 3 Main Battle Tank.
The contract includes panoramic and fixed azimuth weapon aiming sights for the vehicle commander and gunner and a Signal Processing System for “video tracking and Wide Area Search and Detection capability.”
The sights will enable high definition day and night vision for the crew, increasing their ability to see from a distance and “accurate target identification, tracking, digital imagery, and firing ranges.”
Challenger 3 Upgrade
Rheinmetall is upgrading the fleet of Challenger 2 tanks as part of an 800 million pound ($1.13 billion) contract through 2027. The upgrade is part of the UK military’s restructuring plan to reduce the number of Cold War-era Challengers from the current 227 to 148 and extend their retirement to 2040.
The upgrade includes enabling the platform to digitally connect with other combat vehicles, increasing its lethality and survivability.
“Its digital open architecture will ensure that it is integrated across the battlefield, its main armament will overmatch its adversaries and the crew will be afforded a unique level of protection. It is a battle winner,” Deputy Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Chris Tickell said.
The tank will also feature a new L55 120mm smoothbore main gun that can fire more accurate and penetrative “kinetic anti-tank rounds and programmable multi-purpose ammunition.”
