Oxley Group is set to illuminate the British Army's upgraded Challenger 3 tanks following a £1.39M lighting contract awarded by Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL).

The lighting giant will equip the tanks with LED internal cabin, breach, and task lighting, continuing a successful streak after bagging the contract for the UK MOD's Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV) programme.

The manufacturing process, set to commence in 2025, will take place at the Oxley Ulverston site in Cumbria, safeguarding jobs and fuelling further growth.

The Cumbria site employs a team of 150, including engineers, production technicians, and support staff, plus 14 apprentices currently under training.

This contract will provide long term stability for the workforce, protecting jobs and facilitating further investment in technology and process refinements.

RBSL plans to upgrade 148 Challenger 2 tanks, with the overhauled vehicles assuming the name, Challenger 3.

The new variants will offer enhanced digital networking and targeting capabilities, state-of-the-art lethality, and upgraded survivability.

Oxley Group will provide 'best in class' LED lighting solutions for these vehicles.

Each lighting solution meets the most stringent EMC and power standards, showcasing exceptional optical performance.

Darren Cavan, Oxley Group CEO, said: “We’re delighted to be awarded this contract, this builds on the success we have achieved on the MIV Boxer vehicle and further cements our world leading position in the provision of high-performance lighting for military vehicles.

"This contract gives us long term stability, protecting jobs and enabling us to further invest in technology and process improvements. We look forward to working in partnership with the RSBL team as this programme develops.”

Colin McClean, Managing Director of RBSL, said: “This contract is the latest in a series of UK supplier contracts awarded by RBSL for Challenger 3, ensuring the programme benefits from the best of British engineering and manufacturing whilst also sustaining valuable skills across the country.

“We are very pleased to welcome Oxley Group to the Challenger team and we look forward to working with them as the programme progresses.”