The task set to the lads of The Royal Tank Regiment was add some modifications to a Challenger 2 to improve its potential in an Urban Operations environment (Think Infantry Support function). With the help of Ultra Electronics Precision Control Systems and the Hobart Committee they came up with Challenger 2 Street Fighter MK1- Totally confusing I know as the Iraq deployed CR2 with the upgraded Armour was also nicknamed by the crews as Street Fighter !
So think same name - Totally different...
The vehicle is to be used as a demo at the upcoming Army Warfighting Experiment AWE18 starting next week.
Some great mods including : a 50 Cal on the Commanders mount, a ladder and break in tools handy for the infantry and a 60 mm Mortar (Straight from the Swedish S Tank).
Also numerous cameras (including barrel mounted) which enable a live stream to be sent directly to the Infantry as part of "Soldier Systems"
https://www.ultra-electronics.com/…/la… … stems.aspx
I love this- with great ideas from all ranks it just shows what can be done to cheaply improve a tank to adjust to different operational environments and be more Infantry friendly 😀

Inside Challenger 2E. The VBMS (Vickers Battlefield Management System) integrating GPS/Inertial navigation is installed in CR2E.

IIRC, CR2E was originally registered as 06SP87?

In September 1987, five of the West’s most advanced Main Battle Tanks came together at Bovington. From left to right they are: Chieftain Mark 10, Challenger 1, a West German Leopard 2A4, an American M1A1 Abrams and the Vickers Mark 7/2.

The Army needed to replace Chieftain with a new vehicle that would serve alongside Challenger 1 and this event was an early part of that process. It would eventually lead to Challenger 2.

The Mark 7/2 was the latest in a long line of private ventures by Vickers. The turret, on a Leopard hull, was equipped with the same 120mm gun as Challenger and Chobham armour. Although it was unsuccessful, the experience did help Vickers develop the Challenger 2.

The Leopard and Abrams were considered because they were in service in large numbers with Britain’s NATO allies. Interestingly, although it was recognised that Abrams was better armoured, logistics and the context of the Cold War led to some British soldiers preferring the Leopard, as British forces were deployed in the north of West Germany alongside the Germans, whereas the American forces were much further south.