A new fleet of the ‘most lethal’ battle tanks in Europe will be partially produced on the Isle of Wight as part of an £800 million contract.
The new Challenger 3 tanks have been commissionned by the British Army and will be produced at the Rheinmetall BAE SYstems Land plant in Shropshire, and are set to replace the Challenger 2 tanks that have been in use since the late 90s.
Around 200 jobs will be created at the Telford-based plant, with a further 450 roles created across sites including on the Isle of Wight as part of the supply chain – although the companies involved on the Island cannot yet confirm their involvement.
The new tracked vehicles are part of a major military investment and will be able to travel at a breakneck 60mph – featring automatic target detection and tracking systems, thermal long range cameras, and improved suspension to inprove accuracy on the move.
Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace said:
“This represents a huge shift in the modernisation of our land forces through the increased lethality of Challenger 3. This pioneering new technology allows us to deliver immense warfighting capabilities in battlespaces filled with a range of enemy threats.
“The £800 million investment will also create hundreds of highly-skilled jobs across the country ensuring our soldiers benefit from the very best of British engineering.”
The first series of tanks are expected to be delivered by 2027, with the full fleet arriving by 2030.
They are not new tanks but Challenger mk2’s upgraded and only 148 and won’t be in service till 2030
Tear up your bedsheets and waive them out of your window then come the day.