Challenger 2 ATDU is a fictional name given to the Challenger 2 Megatron for the game Armored Warfare. Including some of the upgrades of Megatron, the in-game version is fitted with a former British 140mm main gun.
ATDU stands for Armoured Trials and Development Unit and use the Challenger 2 Megatron for the trialling of new and possible future equipment for all British Army Challenger 2 Tanks.
Challenger 2 ATDU 140mm Main Gun
The low pressure 140mm main gun was developed and tested successfully as an alternative to a high pressure 120mm rifled main gun, now known as the L30 Charm gun currently used on the Challenger 2.
Declassified papers obtained for the game show that the 140mm main gun offered no significant improvements in Kinetic Energy rounds (APFSDS) due to its low chamber pressure.
However the increased bore allowed for larger, therefore more effective tandem charged HEAT rounds and Anti-Tank Guided Missiles to be fired compared to that of 120mm main guns.
Challenger 2 ATDU Autoloader
Declassified papers show that at the time of development the British Army was operating the Challenger 1, who speculated that the increased length of the 140mm bore APFSDS would be too large to manually load. They also speculated that the Challenger 1 turret could only hold 16 rounds.
This meant any future (at the time) Challenger 2 would require an auto loader. The completed APFSDS on display next to a standard 120mm APFSDS measured a total length of 1.5 meters.
With the eventual selection of the L30 main gun for the Challenger 2 it is not known if the autoloader would have been a bustle system or carousel system in the turret bottom.
The L30 120mm main gun was selected as its high pressure chamber allowed for continued improvements in lethality as new ammunition technology came available by 2020, the expected date a new main gun would need to be found.
Challenger 2 ATDU Specifications (Stock)
References:References:
Firepower |
|
Main Gun | 120mm, calibre Length 55 Rifled L30 CHARM Elevation -10 to +20 |
Secondary Weapons | x1 coaxial 7.62mm MG, x1 7.62mm MG |
Ammunition Storage | x50 120mm, x4,000 7.62mm |
Mobility |
|
Engine | Perkins Condor V-12 1200hp Diesel |
Transmission | David Brown TN54 epicyclical (6 forward/ 2 reverse gears) |
Top Road Speed | 56 km/h (Governed) |
Road Range | 450 km |
Fuel Capacity | 1592 Litres |
Vertical Obstacle | Unknown |
Water Capability | Unknown |
Trench Crossing | Unknown |
Gradient | 60% |
Side Slope | 30% |
Dimensions |
|
Length Gun Forward | 11.55m (excluding bar armor) |
Length Hull | 8.327m (excluding bar armor) |
Width |
3.52m+ |
Height | 2.49m (roof top) |
Ground Clearance | Unknown |
Weight | 73,000kg aka 73 tonne combat |
Protection |
|
NBC Protected | Yes |
Armor Type | Steel/Composite/modular/passive/ERA |
Active Protection Systems | No |
Crew |
|
Commander | Yes |
Gunner | Yes |
Loader | Yes |
Driver | Yes |
Additional Crew | — |
Troops Carried | n/a |