UK to send mechanised brigade with latest Challenger 3 tanks to Estonia

The British Ministry of Defence said that these tanks will be used to equip the new 4th Army Brigade, which will strengthen NATO's eastern flank.

Here's What We Know

The UK announced its commitment to increase the readiness of the 4th Army Brigade following a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels. This decision is part of efforts to strengthen the defence of the Alliance's eastern flank.

The 4th Brigade will be placed on high alert in the UK to respond quickly to possible crises and conflicts. It is worth noting that London has already deployed an armoured battlegroup to Estonia, which has been cooperating with the 1st Infantry Brigade of the Estonian Defence Forces since 2017. Prior to deployment, the newly created 4th Brigade will undergo regular exercises to test its readiness in 2025.

The 4th Brigade will be equipped with several combat platforms, including Archer self-propelled howitzers, Boxer infantry fighting vehicles, Ajax armoured personnel carriers and Challenger 3 tanks.

The British Army has recently received the first Archer self-propelled howitzer from Sweden. The Boxer infantry fighting vehicle and the Ajax armoured personnel carrier will be ready for combat use in 2025, while the Challenger 3 will reach full combat readiness only by 2030.

The new Challenger modification has a number of improvements, the most notable of which will be the 120mm L55A1 smoothbore gun, which will be used as the main armament. In combination with the fire control system, it should provide higher accuracy than the 120mm L30A1 rifled gun that is used in the Challenger 2 tanks.

In addition, the move away from the rifled barrel will increase interoperability with NATO forces, but it will require the development of appropriate ammunition.

Source: Ministry of Defence