Well there isn’t much know about it but when the Type 90 prototyping was going on they made 135mm gun and tested it but didn’t mount it in prototype that’s the sad thing and that no much is public information about it.
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When it comes to large-caliber weapon tests, they have the 2A4-140, Panzer 87-140, KF51 and any future tests with the L/51 and L/52 guns mounted. Britain has no domestic >120mm gun/breech so far. Therefore, giving a tank designed for a British upgrade that was submitted to the British Challenger program to Germany is not really needed. Copy-pasting it into both nations is also not a good solution, as tech trees need to be unique, especially if possible at higher tiers.
KF51 mainly aimed to lower weight and increase lethality, not only is there not a lot of ammunition for it but its very equal to the 2A7V in terms of capabilities with a couple better changes. But that is a discussion for a different time.
This is over 30 years old, no modern FCS, no autoloader, no composite armour. It’s a testbed.
Swiss, not German.
The 130 mm testbed was not part of the Challenger life extension program. The turret that Rheinmetall created for the LEP was modified to fit the 130 mm and autoloader.
It’s no different to how the Vickers Mk7 is not in the German tree, despite using a Leopard 2 hull.
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RBSL
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Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land, if anyone wonder what RBSL means
actually not even created. It is Challenger 2 turret with little modification
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The Rheinmetall prototype Challenger 2 LEP and 130 mm was developed before the creation of RBSL.
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Also note that the turret of the 130 mm demonstrator says Rheinmetall on the side and not RBSL.
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no. The joint venture was established in June 2019, and the tank(130mm) was unveiled in July 2020.
Challenger 2 LEP began in 2013, 2020 is when the tank was shown to the public.
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Rheinmetall and BAE are still separate companies, RBSL just a joint venture to co-operate on certain things. The 130 mm demonstrator is entirely a Rheinmetall project.
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You know that it is a Cr2 LEP 2019 with 130 and more armor on the front half of the turret, right?
I said as much in the original post
And you know this was a LEP that was borrowed for the sake of that demo, right
The tank is Rheinmetall’s entry into the lift extension program. The hull was borrowed, but the turret was made by Rheinmetall, so it was decided to use that instead of modifying a Leopard 2 turret.
The turret design was made by RBSL, the package you see on top of it is pure Rheinmetall. So if you like it or no this tank is 70% RBSL. Im not against it going to both Ger and UK. Just pointing the fact that is it mostly a joint work.
RBSL was only formed in 2019, the LEP began in 2013. BAE would of had very little to do with the Rheinmetall version.
DSEI 2019 RBSL Challenger 2 LEP propositon
LEP is a long programme that had at least 3 propositons.
If you wondered who made it, they were kind enough to slap it on to the back and sides.
I’m not denying that, but RBSL was not involved in what I’m suggesting. It’s a Rheinmetall project to demonstrate the 130 mm.
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It is, a Cr2 LEP, with 130 and bonus armor. The turret by itself has ability t to interchange 130,the back was removed and replaced with autoloader and bonus armor was added. Rheinmetall made these changes but the base is RBSL. So it is not like RBSL had nothing to do with it.
So with the tank as a whole Yes, with that changes, No. But you cant deny their potion in it.
I will just stop this with yea it is a Rheinmetall project, lets move on