Challenger 2 MBT Tank Promotional Video

Tam provided the link to this video. I posted it here for a couple of reasons. One is that I saw a new word: Mantlet. It appears at the 4:55 mark, to wit: "Thermal Imaging Camera on Gun Mantlet". I think the camera is the box mounted on top of the barrel just in front of the turret, so I am suspecting the mantlet is the small shield that moves with the barrel when it moves up or down. It's such an odd word that the Google spellchecker doesn't recognize it.

Another reason is that they identified the music as being "Mars, Bringer of War" composed by Gustav Holst. I don't have much interest in classical music and generally am unable to identify any of it. Yeah, it's classical, that's nice, I'm glad you enjoy it. I especially don't care for the lighter stuff, though it can help set the tone in movie scenes. I do like the heavier stuff a bit more, but once again, only if it is paired with an appropriate video. So I like that they have identified the tune. We shall see if I am able to identify it the next time I hear it.

The last bit of interest is the gyro-stabilised gun. Being able to hit a target with a cannon usually means precision aiming from a stable platform. I think in WWII most shooting from tanks was done while stationary. They've been trying to build a tank that could shoot on the run ever since, and I think they managed to do so sometime in the last ten years. The video doesn't do a real good job of illustrating just what this gun can do, but that would be difficult without getting all technical and boring.