The Ukrainian Armed Forces have reportedly deployed its recently received Challenger 2 main battle tanks to the frontline.
British-supplied tanks have been photographed driving through a forest in eastern Ukraine.
Challenger 2 is heavily armored and highly mobile, designed for use in the direct fire zone. Its primary role is to destroy or neutralize armor. However, it also has the ability to engage both hard and soft targets and can operate across a spectrum of high-intensity conflict, counter-insurgency and peacekeeping roles.
The vehicle is equipped with an L30 120mm rifled tank gun, firing both long rod penetrator and High Explosive Squash Head (HESH) ammunition natures. Secondary armaments are provided with a 7.62mm co-axial chain gun and a 7.62mm pintle mounted General Purpose Machine Gun.
🔴 İngiliz üretimi Challenger 2 tankı, Ukrayna’da cephe hattında görüntülendi. pic.twitter.com/zX9q0yVcok
— Conflict (@ConflictTR) June 18, 2023
Ukraine has received a batch of Challenger 2 as part of UK military aid with the goal of helping troops push back against Russian troops in the eastern and southern parts of the country.
The UK Government provided £2.3 billion of military aid to Ukraine in 2022 and the Prime Minister has committed to match this in 2023, having already supplied more than 10,000 anti-tank missiles, 100,000 rounds of artillery ammunition (with 100,000 more planned for supply in 2023), more than a hundred anti-aircraft guns, self-propelled artillery, and trained more than 15,000 AFU recruits, with support from our Allies.