Challenger 1 Main Battle Tank 1983-2001 (FV 4030/4 Model): An insight into the design, operation and maintenance of the British Army's revolutionary Chobham-amoured Main Battle Tank

When it entered service with the British Army in 1983, the 62-tonne Challenger 1 was the first of a new generation of main battle tanks. Originally intended for use by the Imperial Iranian Army, orders for the tank were cancelled when the Shah was deposed after the Islamic Revolution in 1979, and the design was accepted by the British Ministry of Defence as a replacement for the Chieftain.