Manual

AG7 - Lights
AG8 - 2-plane stabilizer
Turret - Select target or Camera aim
Drive : Pitch+Roll

Note

I forgot the Coaxial machine gun.

Credits :

Track design and engine FT are from this by Alisuchanka
Antenna by SilverJavelin

Real life Information

The Challenger 1 Main Battle Tank (MBT) was a British Cold War-era tank that served as the backbone of the British Army from the early 1980s until its eventual replacement by the Challenger 2 in the 1990s. It was developed as a replacement for the Chieftain tank and designed to excel in European and Middle Eastern combat environments.

Development and Features

Origins: The Challenger 1 was developed by Vickers Defence Systems in the 1970s. It was originally designed for the Iranian Army but was adapted for British use after the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

Dimensions:

Length: 11.5 meters (with the gun forward)

Width: 3.51 meters

Height: 2.95 meters

Weight: Approximately 62 tons

Crew: Four members – commander, gunner, loader, and driver.

Armament

Main Gun: A 120mm L11A5 rifled gun capable of firing APDS (Armor-Piercing Discarding Sabot), HESH (High-Explosive Squash Head), and smoke rounds. The rifled design allowed greater versatility in ammunition types, including HESH rounds for anti-fortification roles.

Secondary Armament: Two 7.62mm L8A1 machine guns, one coaxial with the main gun and another mounted on the turret roof for the commander.

Ammunition Capacity: Up to 64 main gun rounds and over 4,000 rounds for the 7.62mm machine guns.

Mobility

Engine: Powered by a Rolls-Royce CV12 26-liter V12 diesel engine producing 1,200 horsepower.

Transmission: David Brown TN37 automatic transmission with 6 forward and 2 reverse gears.

Suspension: Hydropneumatic suspension, offering superior off-road mobility and stability.

Speed: Maximum road speed of 56 km/h (35 mph) and a cross-country speed of 40 km/h (25 mph).

Range: Approximately 450 km (280 miles) on roads, reduced off-road.

Protection

Armor: The Challenger 1 was one of the first tanks to feature the revolutionary Chobham composite armor, which provided exceptional protection against kinetic and chemical energy rounds.

NBC Protection: Fitted with a nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) filtration and protection system.

Smoke Dischargers: Equipped with 2 sets of 5-barrel smoke grenade launchers mounted on the turret.

Operational History

The Challenger 1 entered service with the British Army in 1983 and saw its most notable combat use during the Gulf War (1991) in Operation Desert Storm. Despite initial skepticism about its reliability, the tank performed exceptionally well in desert conditions, demonstrating its durability and combat effectiveness. British Challenger 1s destroyed numerous Iraqi tanks, many of which were Soviet-built T-55s, T-62s, and T-72s.

Advantages and Drawbacks

Advantages:

Superior armor protection due to Chobham armor.

Excellent gun accuracy, particularly with HESH rounds.

Rugged and reliable in harsh conditions, such as the deserts of the Gulf War.

Drawbacks:

Slower than some contemporary MBTs like the Leopard 2 or M1 Abrams.

Outdated fire control system by the late 1980s compared to its NATO counterparts.

Limited upgrade potential compared to modern tank designs.

The Challenger 1 was retired in favor of the more advanced Challenger 2, but it played a critical role in British armored doctrine during its service years and remains an iconic part of tank history.