Ukraine adds Mad Max-style armour to UK-made tanks in defiant bid to smash Putin

The Ukrainian Armed Forces has souped up British tanks with Mad Max-style armour to make them impenetrable to Russian onslaughts.

Early this year, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak risked Vladimir Putin's wrath by agreeing to send United Kingdom-made Challenger 2 tanks to the frontline in Ukraine.

The Challenger 2 is a modern and sophisticated weapon of war, which is "much better protected, more reliable, quicker" than its predecessors, Colonel Hamis de Bretton Gordon, a former commander of the 1st Royal Tank Regiment, told Sky News at the time.

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And now, it's just got even better protected after the Ukrainian Armed Forces added several upgrades in a bid to quash the Russians.

Footage of the main battle tanks on the frontline in central Zaporzhzhia show that armoured bars have been installed along its sides and across the front.

It's thought that the extra armour will protect against imapct from rockets.

And tactical paint on the front bars will make it easier for troops to decipher comrades.

The tanks, deployed alongside the 82nd Air Assault Brigade, have also now got extra armour over its turrets to protect from drones.

According to Army Guide, the machines, made by Vickers Defence Systems Ltd, is in service with the British Army and with the Royal Army of Oman.

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Challenger 2 is equipped with an L30, 120 mm rifled tank gun from the Royal Ordnance division of BAE systems.

The turret is capable of 360 degree rotation and the weapon elevation range is from -10 to +20 degrees.

The gun control is provided by an all-electric gun control and stabilisation system, also from BAE Systems. Challenger 2 is also equipped with a Boeing 7.62 mm chain gun, which is located to the left of the main tank gun.

The loader has a 7.62 mm GPMG L37A2 anti-air machine gun, mounted on the cupola.

Challenger 2 can also set a smoke screen by the injection of diesel fuel into the engine exhausts.

The maximum speed by road is 59 km/hour and 40 km/hour cross country. The range is given as 450 km by road and 250 km cross country.

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