Editing Challenger 1 (section)

===Challenger 1 gunnery===
[[File:Iraqi tank exploding.JPEG|thumb|An Iraqi tank exploding after an attack by a Challenger 1 of the [[1st (UK) Armoured Division]] during Operation Desert Storm, 28 February 1991.]]
In action the [[Global Positioning System]] (GPS) and Thermal Observation and Gunnery System (TOGS) fitted to Challenger 1 proved to be decisive when engaging the enemy, allowing attacks to be made at night, in poor visibility and through smoke screens.<ref>Dunstan (p.39)</ref> During the [[Gulf War|First Gulf War]], British Challengers destroyed roughly 300 Iraqi tanks without suffering a single loss in combat.{{cn|date=August 2024}}

On 26 February 1991, a Challenger 1 under the command of Captain [[Tim Purbrick]] of the [[17th/21st Lancers]] attached to the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars, destroyed an Iraqi T-55 tank at a range of 3600 metres, followed soon after by a petrol tanker at a range of 4700 metres using L23A1 [[APFSDS]] 'fin' rounds with tungsten–nickel–copper penetrators.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Purbrick |first1=Tim |title=DESERT STORM PART 22: CHARGE OF THE HEAVY BRIGADE |url=https://britisharmyblog.wordpress.com/2016/02/28/desert-storm-part-22-charge-of-the-heavy-brigade/ |website=British Army Blog |publisher=British Army |access-date=4 February 2023 |date=28 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Purbrick |first1=Tim |title=DESERT STORM PART 24: BACK TO GERMANY |url=https://britisharmyblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/11/desert-storm-part-24-back-to-germany/ |website=British Army Blog |publisher=British Army |access-date=4 February 2023 |date=11 March 2016}}</ref>

That same day, a tank of the [[Royal Scots Dragoon Guards]] engaged and destroyed an Iraqi tank at a range of 5100 metres using a L26A1 APFSDS with a [[Depleted uranium#Ammunition|depleted uranium]] penetrator. This is believed to be the distance record for a successful tank-on-tank, direct fire, kinetic round engagement.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Tanks in the Gulf. |last1=Manton |first1=Laurie |journal=Soldier |date=1 April 1991 |volume=47 |issue=7 |page=11 |publisher=Ministry of Defence}}</ref><!-- Requires more than a placeholder title. --><ref>{{cite AV media |people=Chris Copson |date=16 December 2022 |title=Tank Chats Reloaded Challenger 1 The Tank Museum |type=Youtube |language= |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V672HG_hNI8&ab_channel=TheTankMuseum |access-date=4 February 2023 |format= |time=19:50 |location= |publisher=The Tank Museum}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Gulf War |url=https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/gulf-war |website=nam.ac.uk |publisher=National Army Museum (UK) |access-date=4 February 2023}}</ref>

In spite of the Challenger 1's gunnery performance in the Gulf War against Soviet tanks, its fire control system was perceived to be inferior to that of other Western tanks. Its performance in the 1987 [[Canadian Army Trophy]] competition, which Polish-British tank historian [[Richard Ogorkiewicz]] characterized as "dismal", prompted the MoD to initiate the Challenger 2 program.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ogorkiewicz |first1=Richard |author1-link=Richard Ogorkiewicz |title=Tanks: 100 Years of History |date=2015 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |isbn=9781472806703 |pages=185-186 |url=https://archive.org/details/general-military-tanks-100-years-of-evolution. |access-date=16 August 2024}}</ref>