UK to send Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine

The UK Government has recently announced their intentions to support the Ukraine army in the ongoing conflict against Russia by supplying them with several Challenge 2 tanks.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has committed 14 Challenger tanks in addition to approx. 30 AS90 to Ukraine President Volodymry Zelesky.

According to reports, Mr Sunak & Mr Zekelensky talked over the phone at length and discussed recent battlefield wins and the opportunity to seize the initiative with the support of other allied nations.

President Zelensky has publicly expressed his gratitude to the UK for their continued backing commenting that the UK’s support “ will not only strengthen us on the battlefield, but also send the right signals to other partners”.

The challenger 2 tank

The Challenger 2 is a British main battle tank (MBT). It was first built by Vickers Defence Systems (now known as BAE Systems Land & Armaments) and entered service in 1998. The tank is equipped with a 120mm L30A1 rifled tank gun, and is protected by advanced composite armour. It has a crew of four and is powered by a Perkins Condor CV12 TCA diesel engine. The Challenger 2 is considered one of the most heavily armoured and best-protected tanks in the world.

The AS90

The AS90 is a self-propelled artillery gun used by the British Army. It was first built by Vickers Defence Systems (now known as BAE Systems Land & Armaments) and entered service in the early 1990s. The AS90 is equipped with a 155mm L31 ordnance gun, and has a range of up to 30km with rocket-assisted projectiles. It has a crew of six and is powered by a Perkins Condor diesel engine. The AS90 is designed to provide fire support for front-line troops, and has been used in several conflicts including the Gulf War, Iraq War, and the War in Afghanistan.

According to the Gov.uk website the UK has supported Ukraine by giving £220 million in humanitarian aid since the war commenced in February 2022. Learn more about the UK Governments response to the invasion of UK here.

Overall, taking into account military, financial and humanitarian aid, the UK ($7.5 billion) has been the third biggest contributor to Ukraine since the war with Russia began. Only the USA ($37.2 billion) and the EU institutions ($37.2 billion have contributed more financially.

Source: IFW Keil