Are these not just photos of two different Challenger 2 variants?
One being the 2F and one being the TES
I’m not saying you’re wrong I just want to make sure it isn’t that
Are these not just photos of two different Challenger 2 variants?
One being the 2F and one being the TES
I’m not saying you’re wrong I just want to make sure it isn’t that
So the first 3 imagines are from the same 2009 deployment to Iraq and the last 2 is from bovington tank museum tank Fest. And they are using TES (Theater Entry Standard) kit and one challenger 2 has it’s ASPRO-HMT ERA removed. Which shows the 200mm thick VAMAR composite block’s underneath !!
TES changes with time. All it means is the current standard for entry to combat.
No, that is OES. TES is TES
No… they just change ASPRO with VAMAR. ASPRO is heavy, and was bought in small quantity of Iraqi War’s speciality.
So i haven’t looked at the base 2 for a while and…
Now first of all, there’s nothing there.

But the bit with something there, is quite obviously a metal (probably steel) rail.
Now you might think that’s confusing but…
the base 2 is the ONLY challenger with this visible. Did gaijin fumble a literal copypaste?
They frequently do, my man.
Also the hulls on all Challengers are just wrong
Note the UFP around the driver tapers inwards?
Doesn’t IRL, it’s hard to tell, but it continues parallel to the hull sides
and it’s still not rubber
I reported this and it got ignored
Some good photos of a Challenger 2 OES, showing the added side armour along the hull side and the road wheels (not modelled ingame currently)
Question I have had since I first saw a Challenger 2; what is the round thing on the right hand side of the LFP? Is it cameras? lights? I need to know!
Maybe we can issue a few bug reports for it, mostly the extra little bit of armour but also the OES CAN actually take off the armour (like I thought as it is just a CR2 upgrade) but also the lack of camo net

Do you speak of this thing? because I’d want to know too
Afaik its an armour plug, but for what i really don’t know
Yeah, a long while ago I wanted to get realistic RC tanks like Henglong’s Challenger 2, it shoots, made me happy but it also came with a camera and I believe that is where the RC camera was mounted
Provides power for engineering equipment (BEMA, TWMP etc.)
I’ve already reported the ability for the OES to take off it’s addon armour in an existing bug report which was accepted a few months ago :)
https://community.gaijin.net/issues/p/warthunder/i/vgonJS3tbCOg
I used similar but not identical photos with most of the armour (apart from the backing plate) removed
Arguably the most important report with regards to the OES armour is the applique UFP addon.

You can see it there, there is a 50-70mm armour plate mounted on top of the existing armour. If we got this added, it could increase the UFP protection from ~500mm to up to ~600mm. I made a report, but it got shot down, if someone wants to try again that would be great.
Currently this plate isn’t present on any Challenger 2 ingame, with the OES currently incorrectly having a 25mm structural steel spaced plate modelled instead.
Honestly for most CR2s, I just want the UFP plate and the addon LFP cover, those 2 things go a long way to survivability from what I have experienced in-game.
I am also glad we get to keep the M2 browning, that at least makes the OES better in that regard. (I know the RWS can take the L37A2, M2HB and Mk19 but I made a suggestion for that months ago and it was just never passed to the forums)
I reported that missing UFP plate a long time ago to