British Army unveils Streetfighter II tank as Challenger 2's future remains uncertain

The British Army unveiled the Streetfighter II tank demonstrator designed on the lessons of recent engagements based on the Challenger 2, without being certain of being able to maintain its combat tank component in the near future.

A few days ago, following an exercise at Coperhill Down, the British Army Royal Tank Regiment unveiled a Challenger 2 tank demonstrator optimized for urban combat. Designated Streetfighter II, this modified variant of the British battle tank follows the first Streetfighter of the name, another demonstrator intended to test the integration of rolling drones, new anti-IED armor, a rear camera or a teleoperated turret for secondary armament.

The new version of the Challenger 2 presented by the British Army has a set of modifications that should allow the tank to improve its overall performance in combat, especially in urban or semi-urban areas.

Since the disaster of the Russian intervention in Grozny in 1994, heavy tanks have increasingly been called upon to fight in the heart of cities, where they provide heavy support to infantry troops or special forces.

However, these spaces quickly proved to be very complex to manage, particularly for heavy and unwieldy vehicles. The entanglement of civilian populations and combatants, the impossibility of maneuvering as one pleases, but also the taking into account of threats coming from above and below (floors of buildings, underground, etc.) do not make it possible to get the best from the heavy tanks.

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