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41-702: Challenger 3 ( CR3 ) is a British fourth-generation main battle tank in development for the British Army . It will be produced by the conversion of existing Challenger 2 tanks by the British/German Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land joint venture. Improvements to Challenger 2 began in 2005 as the Capability And Sustainment Programme (CSP) to keep the Challenger 2 competitive until the 2030s. Lack of funding meant that it

82-595: A testbed vehicle on the Challenger 2 chassis, with a brand new turret, autoloading system and a powerful 130 mm smoothbore gun, the Rheinmetall Rh-130 L/51 . The 130 mm L/51 is 500 kilograms heavier than existing 120 mm L/44 or L/55 cannons and would require a larger turret to work on the Challenger 3. In October 2020, the MOD argued against buying a new main battle tank from overseas instead of pursuing

123-424: A laser warning system and an active protection system. In January 2019, Rheinmetall unveiled its proposal which included the development of a completely new turret with fully digital electronic architecture, day and night sights for the commander and gunner, and a Rheinmetall L55 120   mm smoothbore gun. Whilst a more substantial upgrade than Black Night, the turret was developed on Rheinmetall's initiative and

164-595: A proposal to change the company name. From 1 January 2017 Finmeccanica officially became Leonardo, a name inspired by the Italian savant Leonardo da Vinci . In March 2017 the Italian Treasury proposed that the veteran banker Alessandro Profumo replace Mauro Moretti as CEO of Leonardo. In May 2017 the Board appointed Alessandro Profumo to the role. On 10 May 2023 the Board of Directors appointed Mr. Roberto Cingolani to

205-664: A stabilized main gun and at least a mechanical fire-control system. The third generation is in Western parlance determined by the usage of thermal imagers, digital fire-control systems and special (composite) armour (Soviet doctrine, however, de-emphasizes thermal vision and electronic fire control, preferring large-caliber gun and engines of high power). However, Hilmes acknowledged that tanks cannot be definitively grouped by generations, as each tank-producing country develops and introduces its tanks in tune with its own ideas and needs. He also states that breakdown of postwar tanks by generations

246-505: Is also the parent company and corporate centre for the subsidiaries and joint ventures Telespazio , Thales Alenia Space , MBDA and ATR . Leonardo is listed on the Borsa Italiana and is a constituent of the FTSE MIB and Dow Jones Sustainability Indices . As of April 2016 , the company was known by the transitional name of Leonardo-Finmeccanica, as part of the restructuring process of

287-471: Is based on timeframe and technical factors, as a basis for further discussion. 1976 (Pz57) 12 The second generation had enhanced night-fighting capabilities and in most cases NBC protection . Most western tanks of this generation were armed with the 105 mm Royal Ordnance L7 tank gun or derivatives of it. The third generation of main battle tanks is characterized by composite armour and computer stabilized fire control systems, which allow firing on

328-459: Is partially owned by the Italian government, which holds 30.2% of the company's shares and is its largest shareholder. On 1 January 2016, Leonardo-Finmeccanica became a single industrial company by integrating the activities of its subsidiaries AgustaWestland , Alenia Aermacchi , DRS Technologies , Selex ES , OTO Melara and WASS . The company is organised into five divisions (Helicopters, Aircraft, Aerostructures, Electronics, Cybersecurity). It

369-530: Is symptomatic of the extremely weak management of Army equipment programmes, by both Defence Equipment and Support and the Army Board itself, in recent years." On 22 March 2021, Ben Wallace presented the command paper , Defence in a Competitive Age to Parliament, which confirmed the British Army's plans to upgrade 148 Challenger 2 tanks for "around £1.3bn" and designate them Challenger 3. The MOD confirmed

410-678: The Damascus suburb Muadamia in May 2011, after the Syrian uprising had started, and sending engineers to Damascus in February 2012 to provide training in using the communications equipment in helicopter terminals, while the uprising continued. Finmeccanica stated that the equipment sales were legal, they occurred "before the outbreak of conflict inside Syria", and the equipment "was designed for use by emergency responders" for civilian use only. On 12 February 2013,

451-688: The Isle of Wight . A drawback of the adoption of the L55A1 smoothbore gun is that it is incompatible with the depleted uranium ammunition currently used by Challenger 2; the NATO standard tungsten ammunition being less effective. On 27 April 2024, the Ministry of Defence announced that a statement of intent had been signed with Germany for the development of an Enhanced Kinetic Energy (EKE) armour-piercing round for both Challenger 3 and Leopard 2 tanks. Background: History of

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492-600: The Leopard 2A6/A7 family of main battle tanks) giving commonality with other NATO members. Ammunition is to be developed in conjunction with Rheinmetall AG, with a new kinetic energy round being developed for Challenger 3 and Leopard 2. The entry into service of the Challenger 3 has been brought forward to 2025, not 2027 as originally planned. The first units are to be delivered to the British Army in 2025. A total of 148 tanks are to be produced, with costs estimated at 906.89 million British pounds sterling (1.17 billion US dollars). By

533-628: The Milan Borsa Italiana stock exchange. In 1992 Finmeccanica's Agusta became a 32% partner in NHIndustries , the prime contractor for the NH90 helicopter , along with Eurocopter (62.5%) and Fokker (5.5%). In July 2000 Finmeccanica and the British GKN agreed to merge their respective helicopter subsidiaries ( Agusta and GKN-Westland Helicopters ) to form AgustaWestland . In December 2001,

574-522: The 100% owned companies of the core aerospace and defence business (AgustaWestland, Alenia Aermacchi, Oto Melara, Selex ES and WASS) being transformed into seven new Finmeccanica divisions. The current holding company will then become an operating company based on seven major business areas, maintaining its parent company and corporate centre function for the Group companies excluded from the model (DRS Technologies, Telespazio, Thales Alenia Space, MBDA and ATR). At

615-514: The 1960s to the 1980s Italy's defence and aerospace industry was split into state-holding entities: EFIM  [ it ] owned the helicopters manufacturer Agusta , the defence company Oto Melara and the electronic enterprise Officine Galileo . STET (another IRI subsidiary) held Selenia , Elsag and SGS Thomson , all electronic enterprises with specializations in security and defense. In 1989, an internal IRI reorganization process brought STET electronic enterprises to Finmeccanica, and

656-469: The 2020s and planned implementation from 2030s/2040s. Leonardo S.p.A. Leonardo S.p.A. , formerly Leonardo-Finmeccanica and originally Finmeccanica , is an Italian multinational company specialising in aerospace , defence and security . Headquartered in Rome , Italy , the company has 180 sites worldwide. It is the 12th largest defence contractor in the world based on 2020 revenues. The company

697-459: The Aeritalia-Selenia merger constituted its aerospace subsidiary Alenia . In 1992 EFIM was wound up because of its troubled financial situation; and Agusta, Oto Melara, Officine Galileo and Breda passed to Finmeccanica, which became one of the main Italian industrial groups. Finmeccanica, which was previously fully state owned by IRI, became partly privatized in 1993, when it was listed in

738-550: The Challenger 2 LEP, stating that an upgraded Challenger 2 would "be comparable—and in certain areas superior—to Leopard 2 or M1 Abrams ". The management of the C2 LEP was scathingly criticized by the Defence Select Committee on 15 March 2021. They said in a report entitled "Obsolescent and outgunned: the British Army's armoured vehicle capability", that "Despite having spent around 50% of the allocated budget (£800 million),

779-579: The Challenger 2, including MUSS and Rheinmetall's ROSY Rapid Obscurant System. In August 2016, the MOD awarded assessment phase contracts to several companies for the Life Extension Programme. These included Team Challenger 2 (a consortium led by BAE Systems and including General Dynamics UK ), CMI Defence and Ricardo plc , Rheinmetall and Lockheed Martin UK . In November, the MOD shortlisted two teams led by BAE Systems and Rheinmetall to compete for

820-563: The LEP which was then estimated to be worth £650 million ($ 802 million). In October 2018, BAE Systems unveiled its proposed Challenger 2 LEP technology demonstrator, the "Black Night". The new improvements included a Safran PASEO commander’s sight, Leonardo thermal imager for the gunner and Leonardo DNVS 4 night sight. The turret also received modifications to improve the speed of traverse and to provide greater space as well as regenerative braking to generate and store power. Other enhancements included

861-620: The United Kingdom, Poland and the United States. Moreover, Leonardo has gained a significant presence in France and Germany, and is a partner for various international industrial collaborations. The company is an ITER supplier. In December 2021, Leonardo Electronics announced it would be building a semiconductor device fabrication facility in Oro Valley, Arizona with construction beginning in

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902-473: The avionics, C4ISTAR and communications businesses of the two companies. In March 2007, BAE Systems sold its 25% share to Finmeccanica for €400 million. In January 2013 the company merged with Finmeccanica's other defence electronics companies, SELEX Elsag and SELEX Sistemi Integrati , to become Selex ES . In May 2008 Finmeccanica announced its intention to purchase the U.S. defense contractor DRS Technologies for nearly $ 5.2 billion. In October 2008

943-620: The chief executive, Giuseppe Orsi , was arrested on corruption charges. Prosecutors alleged that he paid bribes to ensure the sale of 12 helicopters to the Indian government, when he was head of the group's AgustaWestland unit. In July 2013, the Letta government appointed former police chief Giovanni De Gennaro as Chairman of Finmeccanica. In December 2013 Finmeccanica sold 39.55% of its share capital in Ansaldo Energia to Fondo Strategico Italiano. In

984-550: The company carried out by CEO Mauro Moretti from the beginning of his mandate in 2014. The company changed its name to Leonardo S.p.A. on 1 January 2017, after the Italian inventor Leonardo da Vinci . Società Finanziaria Meccanica, "Finmeccanica", was established in 1948 as the mechanical engineering subholding of the state-owned Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale (IRI). Finmeccanica has held for years some historic Italian enterprises, as Alfa Romeo (automobiles), Aeritalia (aerospace) and Ansaldo (engineering). From

1025-550: The contract with RBSL had been signed, valued at £800 million (USD$ 1 billion), on 7 May 2021. Rheinmetall's more extensive upgrade proposal, including the new 120 mm smoothbore gun, had been accepted. The initial operating capability for the upgraded tanks is expected by 2027, with full operation capability expected to be declared by 2030. It was announced on 23 January 2024 that the first pre-production Challenger 3 had been delivered, with trials commencing in Germany in February and

1066-524: The early 1980s to the mid-1990s when it was succeeded by the Challenger 2 which saw action during the Iraq War in 2003. In 2005, the MOD recognised a need for a Capability Sustainment Programme (CSP) to extend the service life of the Challenger 2 into the mid-2030s and upgrade its mobility, lethality and survivability. The CSP was planned to be complete by 2020 and was to combine all the upgrades from CLIP (Challenger Lethality Improvement Programme), including

1107-533: The end of 2014, Finmeccanica transferred its stake in BredaMenarinibus to the newco Industria Italiana Autobus (20% Finmeccanica and 80% King Long), thereby taking a further step in the Group's portfolio rationalization process. In 2015, Hitachi signed a binding agreement with Finmeccanica for Hitachi's acquisition of the AnsaldoBreda business , excluding some revamping activities and residual contracts, and of

1148-718: The entire Finmeccanica stake in the share capital of Ansaldo STS , approximately 40% of the total capital. FATA, another subsidiary of the Finmeccanica Group since 2004 that was not part of the core business, was sold in 2015 to the Gruppo Danieli, dealing in the production of steel plants. On 1 January 2016, Finmeccanica became a single integrated industrial entity, that absorbed the activities of AgustaWestland, Alenia Aermacchi, Selex ES, OTO Melara and WASS. A company rebranding operation led by Mauro Moretti began in March 2016, with

1189-465: The first half of 2014, Finmeccanica's new Chief Executive Officer and General Manager Mauro Moretti started a significant process of change for the Group, both in terms of strategic choices and organizational structure. The goal was to create a more cohesive and efficient group in which all processes (research, marketing and sales, engineering, procurement, strategies and governance) are centralized and integrated and can interact each other. This encompasses

1230-699: The first live-firing of the main armament in April. On 18 April 2024, the Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps , attended the rollout of the last of eight pre-production models at the RBSL factory in Telford . A Ministry of Defence statement claimed that nearly 300 jobs would be created at the RBSL plant, with a further 450 jobs around the UK in a supply chain of companies based in the West Midlands , Glasgow , Newcastle upon Tyne and

1271-545: The fitting of a 120 mm smoothbore gun. By 2014, the CSP programme had been replaced by the Life Extension Programme (LEP) which shared a similar scope of replacing obsolete components and extending the tank's service life from 2025 to 2035, however the 120 mm smoothbore gun had seemingly been abandoned. In 2015, the British Army provided an insight into the scope of the LEP, dividing it into four key areas, namely: The MOD also began assessing active protection systems (APS) on

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1312-419: The missile business of Alenia Marconi Systems (AMS), a joint Finmeccanica/ BAE Systems company, was merged with other European missile manufacturers to form MBDA , which became the world's second largest missile manufacturer. In July 2003 Finmeccanica and BAE Systems announced their intention to set up three joint venture companies, to be collectively known as Eurosystems . These companies would have pooled

1353-412: The move as well as very high first hit probability on targets up to 2,000 meters away. These are third-generation tanks modernized with fourth-generation technology. A generation of tanks developed since the beginning of the 21st century and implemented since the 2010s. In August 2023, Hungary announced that it will join the development. A generation of tanks developed since the beginning around of

1394-455: The only option available without replacing the Challenger 2 fleet with foreign models. The Challenger 3 has an all-new turret with an improved hull. The most significant change from Challenger 2 to Challenger 3 is the replacement of the Challenger's main armament from a 120 mm L30A1 rifled main gun to the 120 mm L55A1 smoothbore gun (which itself is an upgraded version of the L55 fitted to

1435-512: The position of Chief Executive Officer and General Manager, Mr. Stefano Pontecorvo to the role of Chairman, Mr. Lorenzo Mariani to the role of Co-General Manager. Leonardo is present worldwide in about 20 countries (42% in Italy and 58% abroad). Commercially, there are about 150 countries in the world that use products, systems and services supplied by Leonardo. Its production activities and its main industrial and commercial bases are located in Italy,

1476-422: The programme has yet to place a manufacturing contract. The programme has a current in-service date of 2024 (originally planned for 2017) and is some £227 million over budget. After a decade of effort, this abject failure to deliver against both cost, (with an overrun now totalling over a quarter of a billion pounds of public money) and timescale (ISD seven years late) is clearly totally unacceptable. Nevertheless, it

1517-495: The sale of DRS Technologies was finalized. During 2011–2013, Finmeccanica emails were published by WikiLeaks and Finmeccanica was subject to judicial inquiries on several fronts and management changes. According to Finmeccanica emails published in the Syria Files release by WikiLeaks on 5 July 2012, Finmeccanica increased its sale of mobile communications equipment to Syrian authorities during 2011, delivering 500 of these to

1558-658: The spring of 2024, eight pre-production tanks had been delivered and trials had commenced in Germany. The Challenger 3 will be the fourth tank of this name, the first being the World War II Cruiser Mk VIII Challenger , which was developed from the Cromwell tank chassis and armed with a Ordnance QF 17-pounder . The second was the Gulf War -era Challenger 1 , which was the British army's main battle tank (MBT) from

1599-523: The tank , Tank classification List of main battle tanks by generation#Fourth Generation In 1973, Rolf Hilmes saw three tank generations and three "intermediate generations", which consisted mainly of upgraded vehicles. The first generation of main battle tanks was based on or influenced by designs of World War II , most notably the Soviet T-34 . The second generation was equipped with NBC protection (only sometimes), night-vision devices,

1640-469: Was not funded by the UK MOD, nor was it part of the MOD's LEP requirements. In June 2019, BAE Systems and Rheinmetall formed a joint venture company, based in the UK, named Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL). Despite the merger, the company was still expected to present two separate proposals for the LEP contract. At DSEI 2019, RBSL first showed the 120mm proposal. In July 2020, Rheinmetall Defence showed

1681-425: Was not until 2014 that the programme was formally reorganised into the "Challenger 2 Life Extension Programme" (LEP). In response to the LEP programme, two prototypes were submitted for evaluation; one from BAE Systems in 2018 and the other from Rheinmetall in 2019. Later that year BAE and Rheinmetall merged their British operations into Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL), effectively leaving Rheinmetall's proposal

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