Editing Challenger 1 (section)

==History==
[[File:Challenger 1, The Tank Museum, Bovington. (11373760294).jpg|thumb|Challenger 1 on display at The Tank Museum, [[Bovington Camp|Bovington]]. This vehicle was used for suspension testing.]]
[[File:Challenger1MBT.JPEG|thumb|Challenger 1 of the [[1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards]] with [[IFOR]] markings.]]

The Challenger design by the former [[Military Vehicles and Engineering Establishment]] (MVEE) near [[Chobham, Surrey|Chobham]] in Surrey originated in an [[Iran]]ian order for an improved version of the [[Chieftain tank|Chieftain]] line of tanks in service around the world. These were the Chieftain Mk5(P)- FV4030/1, FV4030/2 [[Chieftain tank#Variants|Shir (Lion) 1]] and 4030/3 [[Shir 2]]. With the fall of the [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi|Shah of Iran]] and the collapse of the UK [[MBT-80]] project, the British Army became the customer and the tank was further developed by MVEE to meet Western European requirements. For a short time the tank was named "Cheviot" (the name of a [[Cheviot Hills|hill range]]) before becoming "Challenger", a name reused from the [[Cruiser Mk VIII Challenger]] tank of World War II.

The most advanced aspect of the Challenger 1 design was its [[Chobham armour]], which gave protection far superior to any monolithic [[Rolled Homogeneous Armour]] (RHA), then standard of western tank armour material. This armour was later adopted by other designs, including the American [[M1 Abrams]]. Additionally, the [[hydropneumatic suspension]] provided outstanding cross-country performance through the long suspension arm travel and controlled bump and rebound behaviour offered.

The Challenger was built by the [[Royal Ordnance Factories]] (ROF). The Challenger 1 entered service with the British Army in 1983 and production ceased in 1990 at a cost of around £2 million each.<ref name="ReferenceA">''Classic Military Vehicle Magazine'', Issue 46, March 2005</ref> In 1986, [[ROF Leeds]] (and the Challenger production line) was acquired by [[Vickers Defence Systems]] (later [[Alvis Vickers]]).

The Ministry of Defence was keen to show off the capabilities of the Challenger 1 in the [[Canadian Army Trophy]] Competition (CAT '87), held at [[Grafenwöhr]], [[West Germany]], in June 1987. The best performing team in preparatory competitions had been the 2nd [[Royal Tank Regiment]], although its Challengers had not been fitted with [[thermal imaging|Thermal Observation and Gunnery Sight]] (TOGS), which would put them at a disadvantage. The [[Royal Hussars]] had a squadron fitted with TOGS; however, they had been training at [[British Army Training Unit Suffield|BATUS]] in Canada with Chieftains, instead of training with Challenger and TOGS for CAT '87. Twenty-two new Challengers with TOGS were specially diverted from the production line for the competition, resulting in teething problems.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6Pkeug7XXmUC&pg=PA18 |first=Simon |last=Dunstan |title=Challenger Main Battle Tank 1982-97 |publisher=Osprey Publishing Ltd |year=1998 |isbn=1-85532-485-7 |page=18 }}{{Dead link|date=June 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> At the competition itself, the Hussars were placed last in the league table.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mihalko-family.com/CAT%2087%20Patches.htm |title=Ron Mihalko - CAT '87 Teams |access-date=31 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120430094716/http://www.mihalko-family.com/CAT%2087%20Patches.htm |archive-date=30 April 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> In a statement to the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] on 14 July, [[Ian Stewart, Baron Stewartby|Ian Stewart]], the [[Minister of State for the Armed Forces]], said; "I do not believe that the performance of tanks in the artificial circumstances of a competition, such as the recent [[Canadian Army Trophy]], is a proper indication of their capability in war."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1987/jul/14/tank-gunnery-standards |title=Hansard: House of Commons Debate 14 July 1987. Vol 119 c437W: Tank Gunnery (Standards) |access-date=31 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130102161901/http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1987/jul/14/tank-gunnery-standards |archive-date=2 January 2013 |work=[[Hansard|Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]] |date=14 July 1987 |url-status=live }}</ref> Following poor results in 1985 with the Chieftain, and in 1987 with the Challenger, the British Army decided in December 1987 to withdraw indefinitely from the competition.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=Y6hDAQAAIAAJ&q=%22CAT+'87%22+%22challenger%22+british+withdrew+competition ''Jane's Defence Weekly: Volume 12'', Jane's Publishing Company, 1989 (p.7)]</ref>

A requirement for a new MBT was later issued. Proposals put forward for the new specification included an improved Challenger from Vickers, the American M1 Abrams, the French Leclerc, and the German [[Leopard 2]]. The [[Vickers|Vickers Defence Systems]] design, designated Challenger 2, was eventually selected. This tank is significantly more capable than its predecessor: based on the same basic MVEE-designed hull, it features a new turret based on the Vickers Private Venture Mk7 design and improved Chobham armour.

Withdrawals of the Challenger 1 from the British Army began in 1998 and it had been completely replaced by the Challenger 2 by 2001.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> The bulk of these vehicles were exported to Jordan with around 20 vehicles retained for testing, development, and museum display. There was also a [[Challenger Marksman]] [[SPAAG]] version, equipped with the Marksman turret.

===Use by Jordan===
[[File:1AD tankers train with Jordanian Armed Forces 160108-A-LY282-003.jpg|thumb|Jordanian Challenger 1 ''Al-Hussein'' tanks in 2017.]]
In the 1980s, Jordan had been interested in purchasing the original Shir 1 design, and subsequently ordered 274 [[Chieftain (tank)#Variants#Khalid|''Khalid'']] tanks. The success of ''Khalid'' maintained the Jordanian interest in British made tanks.

The replacement of Challenger 1 tanks in British service by the Challenger 2 coincided with the accession of [[Abdullah II of Jordan|Abdullah II]] as [[King of Jordan]]. The new king had strong links with Britain, having begun his military career, while a prince, as an officer cadet at [[Royal Military Academy Sandhurst]], serving for a year as a troop commander in the [[13th/18th Royal Hussars]], a British armoured cavalry regiment, before returning to Jordan. As a member of the Royal Jordanian Army, he became a tank company commander.<ref name="RHC">{{cite web|url= http://kingabdullah.jo/en/page/profile|title= His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al-Hussein|access-date= 1 February 2017|work= kingabdullah.jo|url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170213165709/http://kingabdullah.jo/en/page/profile|archive-date= 13 February 2017}}</ref> Abdullah had thought he would spend his life in the military, but on 24 January 1999, weeks before his father's death, he replaced his uncle [[Prince Hassan bin Talal|Hassan]] as heir apparent.<ref name="cvoa">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YAd8efHdVzIC&pg=PA25|page=25|title=The Encyclopedia of the Arab–Israeli Conflict: A Political, Social, and Military History|access-date=1 November 2016|year=2008|first1=Spencer|last1=Tucker|first2=Priscilla|last2=Roberts|publisher=ABC-CLIO|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180206071126/https://books.google.com/books?id=YAd8efHdVzIC&pg=PA25|archive-date=6 February 2018|isbn=9781851098422}}</ref>

In March 1999, after Abdullah II had ascended to the throne, the British Government, in a show of support of Abdullah's foreign policy, and in response to a request from the new king, announced an agreement to supply Jordan with up to 288 Challenger 1 tanks as they came out of British service. These tanks had an average in-service book value of £750,000 per unit, that would reduce to zero upon withdrawal. The tanks were therefore supplied to Jordan at no cost, with the Jordanian Government agreeing to cover any transfer costs arising.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Written Answers: Defence |journal=House of Commons Debates |date=27 October 1999 |volume=336 |url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/1999-10-27/debates/fc1b9e63-2ac8-487a-a15f-00b229a9a0be/ChallengerTanks |access-date=26 January 2023 |publisher=HMSO}}</ref> The deal also included 112 support vehicles.<ref name="UK gives 400 tanks to Jordan">{{cite news |last1=Hencke |first1=David |title=UK gives 400 tanks to Jordan |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2002/oct/29/uk.foreignpolicy |access-date=26 January 2023 |work=The Guardian |date=29 October 2002}}</ref> This first tranche of vehicles were supplied to Jordan over a three-year period from 1999 to 2002 and enabled the replacement of the Jordanian [[Centurion (tank)|Centurion]] fleet (known locally as ''Tariq'').<ref name="ReferenceA"/> In late 2002 a further 114 Challenger 1 MBTs and 19 training tanks were 'gifted' to Jordan. These vehicles had an in-service book value of £385,000 per unit but were also supplied to Jordan for the cost of the logistics of transfer.<ref name="UK gives 400 tanks to Jordan"/>

The 402 Jordanian Challenger 1 tanks received substantial local modifications and were known in Jordanian service as ''Al-Hussein''. Plans to upgrade Jordanian Challengers with a locally designed unmanned turret called [[Falcon Turret|Falcon]] were unveiled in 2003 and prototypes were produced. However, the design never reached full production and by 2016 had been shelved.<ref>{{cite web |title=Falcon Turret |url=http://fighting-vehicles.com/falcon-turret/ |publisher=Fighting-Vehicles.com |access-date=25 January 2023}}</ref> The Jordanian Challenger 1 fleet was retired by January 2023.<ref name="Foss1" /> being replaced by French-made [[Leclerc tank|Leclerc]] tanks from the [[UAE]] and ex-Italian [[Centauro (Tank destroyer)|Centauro]] 8x8 wheeled tank destroyers.<ref name="Jordan exercises new Leclerc tanks"/>

The withdrawn Jordanian vehicles are now in storage. In light of the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]], there is speculation that these vehicles could be acquired from Jordan and refurbished for [[Armed Forces of Ukraine|Ukrainian]] use.<ref name="Clark1" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Meiritz |first1=Annett |last2=Murphy |first2=Martin |last3=Specht |first3=Frank |last4=Waschinski |first4=Gregor |title=Deutsche Industrie bietet mehr als 100 Kampfpanzer für Ukraine an |url=https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/ukraine-krieg-deutsche-industrie-bietet-mehr-als-100-kampfpanzer-fuer-ukraine-an/28933606.html |access-date=25 January 2023 |work=Handelsblatt |publisher=Handelsblatt |date=20 January 2023}}</ref>