Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what basis the Challenger 2 upgrade has been spread over four years; and what assessment he has made of the effect this duration will have on the availability rates for Main Battle Tank.

Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) were awarded the Challenger 2 (CR2) upgrade contract based on their timelines to conduct the Demonstration and Manufacture phases for the Challenger 3 (CR3). The initial production vehicles are expected to be delivered in 2027 with all vehicles delivered by 2030. The Army will continue to meet current operational commitments requiring Main Battle Tanks throughout this period of transition from CR2 to CR3.

Defence is keen to see the delivery of Challenger 3 as soon as practical but it is important that this technically complex project is executed effectively and on a realistic timeframe.