Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) has successfully completed the first crewed live firing of the Challenger 3 main battle tank, marking a major milestone in the British Army’s armored modernization program. Conducted at a UK Ministry of Defence training facility, the trial represents the first time in more than three decades that a newly developed British main battle tank has fired live ammunition in the UK.
The firing event followed a phased testing approach, beginning with remote and uncrewed operations before progressing to full crewed firing conducted by RBSL personnel. Challenger 3 is equipped with Rheinmetall’s 120mm L55A1 smoothbore cannon, enabling the use of both kinetic energy anti-armor rounds and programmable multipurpose ammunition designed for a wide range of combat scenarios.
Compared to the Challenger 2, the Challenger 3 delivers substantial improvements in lethality, survivability, and digital integration. The adoption of the L55A1 gun allows the tank to fire the latest high-performance kinetic energy munitions, significantly enhancing armor penetration. Additional upgrades include advanced sensor suites, modern digital battlefield management systems, and reinforced armor to counter evolving battlefield threats.
The Challenger 3 program will continue through additional qualification trials as it advances toward operational deployment. Production is currently underway at RBSL’s Telford facility, with 148 upgraded tanks planned for delivery under an £800 million ($1.07 billion) contract. The program has already created around 300 skilled jobs at RBSL and supported another 450 positions across the UK supply chain, reinforcing the British Army’s long-term armored warfare capability.
