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Originally Posted by The Dark
One thing not mentioned is the number built:
The Leclerc and Challenger are both out of production (since 1989 and 2002 respectively), and BAES stopped attempting to sell the Challenger on the export market in 2005 (so if you have a nasty neighbor, either you bought a Challenger 12+ years ago or you ain't buying it now).
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There is in fact no tank production in Britain any more as their last tank factory is Newcastle closed in 2013. The factory still exists but was sold to an Australian company that makes bathroom and plumbing equipment. BAE moved its European military vehicle production to one of its factories in Sweden, but the turret gun systems are still build in Barrow in the UK. So theoretically they can still build tanks, and when the British MOD starts looking for a replacement for the Challenger 2 and insists that its built in Britain just watch how quick BAE builds a new military vehicle factory in the UK.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Dark
One other option that is available on the export market if neither the Abrams nor Leopard seem to fit the requirement, China's out of the question, and upgrades to ex-Soviet tanks don't float your boat is the Israeli Merkava, which was offered to Colombia in 2012 as a counter to Venezuelan T-72s. The tanks offered were Merkava IV without the Windbreaker Active Protection System (known in the West as Trophy). Around 1,900 Merkava have been built with approximately another 300 under contract.
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I believe that the US has built no new Abram's from scratch since the mid-1990's, they are all rebuilds.