Britain's Challenger 2 tank is known for its armor: the only one destroyed on the battlefield was nailed by friendly fire, and it was a scandal when an IED got lucky enough to hurt a crewmember. They even come with a tea station, to make a proper cuppa. And after months of rumors, the U.K. government is offering an unspecified number to Ukraine.
No 10 said the prime minister offered Challenger 2 tanks and additional artillery systems as a sign of the UK's "ambition to intensify our support to Ukraine". Zelenskiy thanked the UK on Twitter for making decisions that "will not only strengthen us on the battlefield, but also send the right signal to other partners". The move makes the UK the first western power to supply the Ukrainians with main battle tanks.
The suggestion is that if Ukraine is to win the war, it must push the Russians back to Russia next spring and for that they need to have modern armor, locomotive artillery, Bradleys and all the rest of it. A problem is what the Russians resort to at the prospect of its army of prisoners, teenagers and merceneries getting "Basra'd" by humungous western main battle tanks. It won't be lost on them that these vehicles were designed to steamroller over that same ground, albeit perhaps a ways to the north.
