Mr. Willey could be talking as well about the history of washing machines and it would be equally interesting and educational.

The world's most well protected Tea-making machine.

I am an American tank junkie and the Challenger 2 is a very impressive tank indeed. I believe it to be the best main battle tank in the world.

When the tank museum releases a 50 minute video- life is good

David, your presentations are flawless in content and delivery thank you from a Yank, I wish some of our museums did as good a job is yours.

I was drafted in the 'People's' army when the Cold War was almost over. 3 companies of our batallion were equiped with T -55s, one with T - 72. (I was on a T - 55.) When we were reading about the technical characteristics of the NATO tanks, we knew we won't have a chance. Our obsolete machines had a chance to hit another tank from a distance not exceeding 1000 meters while the NATO machines could do us from 3 times that. Still, we were not worried because it was clear there will be no war by this point. The firing exercises were a joke and everybody knew it. To illustrate, the targets were painted in bright colours so that we can see them clearly. LOL As for the night-vision equipment, it was in such bad shape at this point that we could not see anything a kilometre away. That is why the targets had electric lights attached to them during the night exercises. We did our best to skive. I remember how I volunteered to gut fish one night just so that I won't participate in a shooting excercise.

Hey! I am german, so sorry for the english, i`ll try my best.... Just from a technical standpoint..... Please pause the video at 21:39 and let that sink in for a moment... after hearing what, and how this man said everything so far in this video.....I just have to say this man is an absolute EXPERT, which clearly loves what he is doing, and besides that, and he is just casually talking about something that fascinating, presenting that topic in the COOLEST way I can imagine! My deepest respect, Sir! This is how I imagine Einstein, talking about relativity.... With best regards and greetings from Germany, stay safe!

I worked at the Leeds factory where these were made. Thanks for bringing back a lot of memories.

“Just turning up with a tank tends to make people understand the issues.” I know someone who drove humanitarian truck runs to the Balkans back then, and he remarked on the big difference it made, in terms of hassles experienced and bribes paid, after a NATO tank (Challenger, Leo, Abrams) showed up at a road junction.

That heating system works so well that people fall asleep in Canada and keep driving straight for 500m until the commander wakes them, hey Marty.

Charmingly Turned Phrases dep't: "Just turning up with a tank tends to make people back off, understand the issues..."

The presentation couldn‘t have been better! Everything explained well, even interviews with the crew... thank you! Greetings from austria ✌🏻

Incredible wealth of information on Challenger 2 ,I will always remember going to my eldest brothers pass off parade at Catterick Garrison 1985 16/5th Royal Lancers. We'd just got out of my fathers car and a Challenger 1 came belting past followed by a Chieftain MBT from the 14/20th Kings Hussars that had just come off the ranges a sight and sound that would stay with me forever.

Thanks, great reviews, tank + British crew = Winner

It's a gorgeous beast!

MBT: Mainly Brewing Tea Edit: And now we have the Challenger 3!

Ha, ha I bought the Haynes Manual from the works with the intention of supporting your charity this video is like revision notes for this fantastic publication. And you Sir are a great presenter and font of all knowledge re Challenger!

Very thorough, very engaging, typically British and an excellent presentation in every respect.

Excellent briefing from David who knows his subject in minute detail and presents it in a very professional way. I started on Chieftain in 1977 and finished as the Lulworth Sqn Ldr SCOTS DG with Ch 2 so a really interesting time to be in the RAC. And now my regiment has had its Chally 2s withdrawn and we are mounted on Jackal Tonka trucks. The next conflict, when it comes, will be a surprise like all the others and in a theatre of ops we least expect (e.g. Falklands, the Balkans, Iraq etc.) so lets hope we have no further cuts - either as an MBT crewed by Yeomanry (anybody heard of skills fade nowadays?) as a deterrent Cr 2 is an excellent piece of kit .

Anyone else checking back on this video to see if it’s trending since the UK announced the donation of Challenger 2 to Ukraine!

What an informative & well produced video thanks. Great to see that the Challenger 2 will once again serve in real combat & has the best armour to help protect those brave Ukrainian warriors who are keeping Putin at bay over on the eastern flank of Europe.

Thanks

Those Vickers export tanks eventually came up against T-72s when the Iraqis invaded Kuwait in 1990. They managed to hold their own for a fair few hours despite only being elements of a single brigade against elements of two Iraqi Republican Guard Divisions. Really interesting video, thanks!

What a knowledgeable man to present tanks! A Bovingdon treasure!!!

From across the pond here, we share the pride yous have in the chally 2...very impressive proper brawler you have. Undoubtedly proven, all powerful limited only by their operations our big battle wagons truely are.

Thank you Tank Museum.

David, your delivery is great. Only criticism, now the Fletch has retired, could you put some dry humour in there? Maybe grow a moustache? Cultivate the eyebrows maybe? Just a thought...

Most interested in the survivability issues. Really boost crew moral. God bless to the crews past and present.

A very interesting and well documented tank chat. I like this guy's honest and Frank delivery. Well done.

Up until about 1990 we had in Germany 3 armoured Divisions, these were the 1st, 3rd and 4th (which made up 1 BR Corps or BAOR). The 2nd Div was an Infantry Div with the HQ based in York. After the 1990 defence review, that is when we drew down to 2 then 1 ARMDDIV in Germany.

This guy is so knowledgeable about tanks its not even funny.love this channel

Wow... one of the best videos The Tank Museum has done. Love the extended format and in depth history, technical details and even crew interviews. Would love to see more of these type videos. Well done David Willey and The Tank Museum!

i'm so glad i only live 20 mins away from this amazing place. it's one of the best War museums in all of Europe.

When the Swedish CV90 was developed, because of cost they had to chose between gun stabilization or a thermal sight. A Thermal sight was deemed more important (night vision don't work during cloudy winter days in northern Sweden). However as the production went on stabilization was brought back in after the Gulf War had demonstrated it's usefulness. CV90's under production got a stabilization system and the next batch got a better stabilization system, this continued until the CV90A with three axis stabilization and then the previous vehicles where all brought up to CV90A standard, it's stabilization is still limited. The CV90B was the next version which had major modifications, now the stabilization system isn't tacked on but built in from the start, the suspension is also different and more suited to a stabilized gun and the gun itself has an electric firing pin so the computer can fire the gun at exactly the right time. This is a fully stabilized modern system. In this respect the UK and Sweden where similar that they had limited resources that needed to give the most bang for the buck. In fact the whole CV90 project meant the Centurion tank could not be replaced in the 1980's, it was deemed more important to mechanize the arctic brigades which was the original mission profile of the CV90's. Basically all brigades in the northern half of Sweden was geared to fighting in roadless terrain in deep snow they used a lot of articulated tracked vehicles since wheeled vehicles had failed to do the job in a 1950's winter exercise. Otherwise they where infantry brigades that got slightly better equipment than other other infantry brigades. The CV90 was supposed to mechanize one of the battalions of each brigade and give it more punch against the Soviet hordes of the Murmansk and Leningrad military districts coming through Finland.

I will never forget my first main armament shot on a chieftain. :-) it was a HESH, nearly 40 years ago.

This for me was an excellent presentation, interesting informative and educational, and I liked the interview with the crews validated the opinions. The presenter was especially good, nice tone, nice pace, not rushed and authoritive. Well Done

Outstanding explanation of Challenger. Well done to David Willey. For obvious reasons they didn't go inside or mention other aspects.. Other features are the sensors (Thermal imaging) not discussed. Also sensors to detect if you are being 'painted'. Very important as this will initiate ejection of CMs. A key metric is how many rounds you can get off in a given time interval. The hand off from commander to gunner sight is interesting. Notice no use of HEAT rounds. There is a reason for this which is tied into the rifled gun I believe. There are plans to upgrade to smooth bore (Rheinmetal 130mm). Introduction of APS systems.I visited DSEi 2019 - and saw new updates but inside was off limits. Sensors are key as you can have best tank, Armour and gun - but need to see out to ranges efficiently in the dark to maximise effectiveness of gun. You will always need armour to take and hold ground. You cant do that with air platforms or broadcasting bits and bytes into the ether (cyber warfare). MBT is a Faraday cage and to some extent proof against cyber but need anti virus to prevent attacks that hinder inter tank communication. Note that a MBT however good it is does need infantry support & cannot function in isolation. A MBT mobility can be easily compromised if the tracks are blown off, either by battle damage or wear. I wouldn't mind a ride in a Challenger - but plenty better qualified in front of me.

More full length please. This was very interesting, and such well made!

Birmingham armor mechanic here. Can confirm it is made from consecutive layers of the same premium steel used to make huusk knives. These layers are then encased in a container made of a unique CCM (tungsten/depleted uranium cermit with muon nanotube fibres interspersed throughout). The new 140mm rifled barrel has an advanced apfsds round with an increased rod length of 200mm (full apfsds length now 350mm). This is the longest apfsds round ever used by the british commonwealth. The new hesh round uses octocubane and a special blender to increase brisance of the overall charge. How can ruskies compete? Im scared for them.

The detail in this tank chat really goes above and beyond anything else I have seen yet, fantastic job and very enjoyable to listen to :)

How fascinating, thank you all for covering this tank!

I grew up in "The Hat." I remember working for a construction company which had a contract with Batus to do a ton of work out there. Had the pleasure of watching these big beasts up close quite a few times. Good memories.

Keep up the awesome content. I love documentaries like this.

thanks for this very comprehensive and interesting video, one of the best that you have produced. Especially the interview of the crew , which I have very much appreciated, because it renders the video more lively. I would really enjoy an extension of this concept to other tanks!

Very well researched, written and presented. Makes us proud.

I was in the Royal Marines force protection unit driving a WIMIK to shatt al Arab and the was a challenger 2 on the side of the road. It was so low a well dug in we didn’t see it till we where (I kid you not) bloody 80 yards away. Sneaky bugger sat there not moving it could have took us out a going 70mph down the road a mile away. Sneeky tankers . Glad it was a friendly

The quality of you explanations is the best in the entire UKposts

Another brilliant, informative and well produced video.

Thanks David and team, for laying out this complex evolutionary history of the C2. Kudos.

A wonderful and outstanding piece of British kit. "Cheers yank, but we dont need your inferior one part ammo. we have a Rifled barrel, 3 part ammunition, bags of spaghetti on the floor and a brew making vessel. Oh and a world record for the longest tank on tank kill"... "thank you very much"........ "God save the Queen".

That was absorbing and went very quickly. I believe that Defence is daft to be relying on other countries. I had a silliness come over me when you mentioned the power plant being Diesel and wondered if it conformed to emmisions. Thank you for an excellent presentation.

I didn't mind that this video was a reupload! :-) Excellent documentary!

A Haynes Manual !!! All I need now is to find a low mileage Challenger 2 in the classified ads.

Super presentation & concise descriptions by the crew 👍

Makes me wonder if there will ever be a Challenger 3. And if so what it will look like and who will build it. Great job Tank Museum team!

Brilliant vid - interesting, informative and well presented. Many thanks!

Excellent video, very engaging and well paced. The Curator certainly knows his facts and puts it very well to keep the interest. Thank you.

An absolutely terrifying machine nobody would ever want to be on the wrong side of. Not even 500 of them around, but they've undoubtedly made one hell of an impact.

Brilliant video . Always great hearing from the experts 👍

David Willey is a good host,as he has clarity,relevance & knowledge.

I enjoyed this extended talk on what is rapidly becoming a favourite tank. I must say, the urban camouflage is the best I’ve seen yet (although I prefer the O.D./camo).

this was brilliant!!! best yet.

An hour of Tank Chat?!? Yes please.

11/10! Exremely well done. Thank you for all your effort.

It must have been a solid lump in the porridge to see an export tank outgunning the current service units. Its always amazing the network of the arms industry and the ways in which it keeps running forward to the future.

Thank you David and everyone who was involved in making this fantastic video. I learned a lot! I hope you are able to re-open your doors soon.

I think confronted with that I’d very quickly “understand the issues” too ! LMAO

This is excellent. Perfectly explained

Hey David thanks so much, esp. the interviews with the crew members and their considerations of the roles they play. Well done.

A pack swap on a Challenger 2 is an amazing thing to watch. Maybe for a future video? I am sure REME would be happy to oblige.

Absolutely amazing talk.

This just popped up after a warthunder video and im glad i watched the whole thing. Great video

Interesting video as always. Love to see a video on all the Vickers or other British export tanks mentioned here

We had 4 armored divisions, not 2. The hunter/killer was implemented on Chieftain. I would be engaging a target, my commander would pick up the next target. Once I’d killed the target, the commander pull a “switch” which brought the gun and my sight on to the next target. You also missed that in the British Army a tank troop typically had 3 tanks, in a war configuration it would have 4 tanks.

Brilliantly detailed and knowledgeable commentary.

To the Tank Museum- just checked out your online shop and wow just wow, so much cool stuff, cant wait to treat myself!

First of all, what a great presentation this tank chat has been! Secondly, if 3 part ammunition and rifled cannon concept are retained, Challenger 2 has a great avenue to be up-gunned. Be it 140mm or 6" cannon, there will be no need for a new turret and auto-loader.

I am so thoroughly enjoying these talks!

Really interesting, thank you for posting.

Great series. Love the in depth info

Great presentation, very impressive.

I spent a few weeks on camp in Bovington a few years ago....I swear to god every squaddie drives a volkswagen scirocco

Thank you UKposts for recommending me this at 4 am on a work night

Brilliant just brilliant!

As much of a meme is the whole tea-maker thing is, I’d argue that having the boiling vessel actually makes the Challenger a more effective tank. On a cold evening in the forest or out on the prairies, there is no better morale boost than a hot brew, and a high morale crew will always be more effective than a miserable crew.

Excellent stuff, and thank you for not using the phrase "deep dive".

Another great video, thank you !!!!

Machined components for these at Vickers Scotswood .Chieftans, bridgelayers and ARV s at Elswick..Happy days.

Worked on a MOD site in Dorset in "95 where they were developing the C2 , remember one time they were using old centurions for target practice , good vid . :)

We had IFCS on Chieftain and to be honest it was like bloody star wars......awesome bit of kit and accurate as hell!

This is top content! Superb presentation and quality of information!

Exelend video,,,, tnx for such a lott new and thrue informations sir. Best regards from Belgrade Serbia!!!!

Challenger 2 best tank hope the show the upgrade it getting

Love these lectures from the Tank museum. Please do more. Will there be a new tank after Challenger2?

I missed this one! How DARE I do that! Great explanation

Brilliant! I really enjoyed that, thanks.

Awesome beast. I wish we Poles had some of those!

The Challenger series, the most powerful weapon of its day Ans still is to a point, it still has the longest Tank on Tank Kill, not a single Challenger 1 or 2 lost to enemy fire, and with its amazing Chobham armour then on to the second generation armour Dorchester on the CH.2.MBT, the most survivable tank ever to be produces until we get our upgrade, maybe even a new tank with a completely different name. The MBT-80 experimental Tank, even originally tried a gas turbine, (OK he just mentioned it). Of anyone can look for picture of the MBT-80 experimental Tank, even just the hull, it lookediie it would've been Massive tank. This MBT-80 project was a joint project with the United States, where the UK and US shared ideas and information on one anothers project, in the end we the UK pulled out, the US carried on and ended up with the Abrams M1A1 MBT. The Chieftains were amazing, the Vickers export turret that outmatched the UK tanks of the day which forced the MOD to start a new competition for new requirements for a new tank, Challenger 2. I'd call it

That was the best shop promo I have ever heard

21:00 excellent explanation