Known as the Life Extension Program or LEP, the original aim was to prevent the tank from becoming obsolete, but it has expanded to include significant modifications. Mobility allowed it to cross the muddy terrain, trenches and barbed-wired of No-Man’s Land, armour made it invulnerable to the machine-gun fire that stopped infantry attacks, and the tank's weapons enabled it to destroy enemy positions.Ī hundred years on, tanks still need the same three qualities, although the technology to provide them continues to improve.įor the UK, the future of tanks is the upgrade program to the Challenger 2 tank, which entered service in 1998. Invented a century ago to break the deadlock of the First World War's trench warfare, the tank combined three key capabilities: mobility, protection, and firepower.
A Challenger 2 with a Mobile Camouflage System during an exercise (Picture: MOD).
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