EDUARD #35601
BRASS PHOTOETCH DETAIL SET UK CHALLENGER II MBT IRAQ IFF CIF PANELS for
TRUMPETER KIT BRITISH ROYAL ARMY
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Additional Information from Internet
Encyclopedia
The FV4034 Challenger 2 (MOD
designation "CR2") is a third-generation British main battle tank
(MBT) in service with the armies of the United Kingdom and Oman. It was
designed and built by the British company Vickers Defence Systems (now known as
BAE Systems Land & Armaments).[7]
Vickers Defence Systems began to
develop a successor to Challenger 1 as a private venture in 1986. A �90 million
deal for a demonstrator vehicle was finalised in January 1989. In June 1991,
the Ministry of Defence placed a �520 million order for 140 vehicles, with a
further 268 ordered in 1994. Production began in 1993 and the unit's tanks were
delivered in July 1994, replacing the Challenger 1. The tank entered service
with the British Army in 1998, with the last delivered in 2002. It is expected
to remain in service until 2035. The Royal Army of Oman ordered 18 Challenger
2s in 1993 and a further 20 tanks in November 1997.
The Challenger 2 is an extensive
redesign of the Challenger 1. Although the hull and automotive components seem
similar, they are of a newer design and build than those of the Challenger 1
and only around 3% of components are interchangeable. A visual recognition
feature is the armoured housing for the TOGS thermal gunsight; the Challenger 2
has this above the gun barrel, the Challenger 1 has it at the right hand side
of the turret. The tank's drive system provides a 550 km range, with a maximum
road speed of 59 km/h.
The Challenger 2 is equipped
with a 120-millimetre (4.7 in) 55-calibre long L30A1 tank gun, the successor to
the L11 gun used on the Chieftain and Challenger 1. Unique among NATO main
battle tank armament, the L30A1 is rifled, because the British Army continues
to place a premium on the use of High-explosive squash head (HESH) rounds in
addition to armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding-sabot rounds. The
Challenger 2 is also armed with a L94A1 EX-34 7.62 mm chain gun and a 7.62 mm
L37A2 (GPMG) machine gun. Fifty main armament rounds and 4,200 rounds of 7.62
mm ammunition are carried.
The Challenger 2 has a four-man
crew. The turret and hull are protected with second generation Chobham armour (also
known as Dorchester). On one occasion, in August 2006, during the post-invasion
stage of the Iraq War, an RPG-29 was fired at a Challenger 2 that was climbing
over a ramp. The armour on its front underside hull, which was augmented with
an explosive reactive armour package, was damaged, injuring several crew
members. The tank subsequently returned to base under its own power and was
quickly repaired and back on duty the following day. As a response to the
incident, the explosive reactive armour package was replaced with a Dorchester
block and the steel underbelly lined with armour as part of the 'Streetfighter'
upgrade. To date, the only time the tank has been seriously damaged during
operations was by another Challenger 2 in a 'blue on blue' (friendly fire)
incident at Basra in 2003 when the damaged tank had its hatch open at the time
of the incident.
It has seen operational service
in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Iraq.
The Challenger 2 is the third
vehicle of this name, the first being the A30 Challenger, a World War II design
using the Cromwell tank chassis with a 17-pounder gun. The second was the
Persian Gulf War era Challenger 1, which was the British army's main battle
tank (MBT) from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s.
Vickers Defence Systems began to
develop a successor to Challenger 1 as a private venture in 1986. Following the
issue of a Staff Requirement for a next-generation tank, Vickers submitted its
plans for Challenger 2 to the Ministry of Defence (MoD). They evaluated the
American M1 Abrams offered by General Dynamics, but the Thatcher government
chose to proceed with the Challenger 2 in December 1988.[14] Secretary of State
for Defence George Younger announced to the House of Commons that Vickers would
receive a �90 million contract for a demonstrator vehicle, a deal that was
finalised in January 1989.[15] The demonstration phase had three milestones for
progress, with dates of September 1989, March 1990, and September 1990. At the
last of these milestones, Vickers was to have met 11 key criteria for the
tank's design.[15]
In June 1991, after competition
with other tank manufacturers' designs (including the M1A2 Abrams and the
Leopard 2 (Improved)), the MoD placed a �520 million order for 127 MBTs and 13
driver training vehicles. An order for a further 259 tanks and 9 driver
trainers (worth �800 million) was placed in 1994. Oman ordered 18 Challenger 2s
in 1993 and a further 20 tanks in November 1997.
Production began in 1993 at two
primary sites: Elswick, Tyne and Wear and Barnbow, Leeds, although over 250
subcontractors were involved. The first tanks were delivered in July 1994.
An equally important milestone
was the In-Service Reliability Demonstration (ISRD) in 1999. 12 fully crewed
tanks were tested at the Bovington test tracks and at Lulworth Bindon ranges.
The tank exceeded all staff requirements.
The Challenger 2 entered service
with the British Army in 1998 (with the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards), with the
last delivered in 2002. It serves with the Queen's Royal Hussars, the King's
Royal Hussars and the Royal Tank Regiment, each of which is the tank Regiment
of an Armoured Infantry Brigade. Under Army 2020, only three Challenger 2 Tank
Regiments will remain: the Queen's Royal Hussars, the King's Royal Hussars and
the Royal Tank Regiment. A single Army Reserve regiment, The Royal Wessex
Yeomanry, will provide reservist Challenger crews to the regular regiments.
The Trojan minefield breaching
vehicle and the Titan bridge-laying vehicle based on the chassis of the
Challenger 2 were shown in November 2006; 66 are to be supplied by BAE Systems
to the Royal Engineers, at a cost of �250 million.
A British military document from
2001 indicated that the British Army would not procure a replacement for the
Challenger 2 because of a lack of foreseeable conventional threats in the
future.[17] However, IHS Jane's 360 reported on 20 September 2015 that
following discussions with Senior Army Officers and Procurement Officials at
DSEI 2015, as well as the head of the British Army, General Sir Nick Carter,
that the British Army was looking at either upgrading the Challenger 2 or
outright replacing it. Sources confirmed that the future of the MBT was being
considered at the highest levels of the Army. This stemmed from the British
Army's concern with the new Russian T-14 Armata main battle tank and the
growing ineffectiveness of the aging L30 rifled gun and its limited suite of
ammunition. Further, it was confirmed that numerous armoured vehicle
manufacturers had discussions with the MoD about a potential replacement for
the Challenger 2.[18] Shortly after, the British Army decided that purchasing a
new tank would be too expensive and chose to proceed with a Challenger 2 life
extension project (LEP).[19] It is expected to remain in service until 2025.[20]
Maintenance and overhaul of the Challenger 2's is currently undertaken by
Babcock Defence Support Group, and design authority for the tank is held by BAE
Systems.
The Challenger 2 is equipped
with a 120-millimetre (4.7 in) 55-calibre long L30A1 tank gun,[9] the successor
to the L11 gun used on Chieftain and Challenger 1. The gun is made from high
strength electro-slag remelting (ESR) steel with a chromium alloy lining and,
like earlier British 120 mm guns, it is insulated by a thermal sleeve. It is fitted
with a muzzle reference system and fume extractor, and is controlled by an
all-electric control and stabilization system. The turret has a rotation time
of 9 seconds through 360 degrees.
Uniquely among NATO main battle
tank armament, the L30A1 is rifled and along with its predecessor, Royal
Ordnance L11A5, the only Third Generation Main Battle Tank Guns to use a rifled
barrel. This is because the British Army continues to place a premium on the
use of high explosive squash head (HESH) rounds in addition to Armour-piercing
fin-stabilized discarding-sabot rounds. HESH rounds have a longer range (up to
8 kilometres or 5 miles further) than APFSDS, and are more effective against
buildings and thin-skinned vehicles.
Forty-nine main armament rounds
are carried in the turret and hull; these are a mix of L27A1 APFSDS (also
referred to as CHARM 3), L31 HESH and L34 white phosphorus smoke rounds,
depending on the situation. As with earlier versions of the 120 mm gun, the
propellant charges are loaded separately from the shell or KE projectile. A
combustible rigid charge is used for the APFSDS rounds and a combustible
hemispherical bag charge for the HESH and Smoke rounds. An electrically fired
vent tube is used to initiate firing of the main armament rounds. (The main
armament ammunition is thus described to be "three-part ammunition",
consisting of the projectile, charge and vent tube.) The separation of
ammunition pieces also aids in ensuring lower chances of ammunition detonation.
The Challenger 2 is also armed
with a L94A1 chain gun EX-34 7.62 mm chain gun coaxially to the left of the
main gun, and a 7.62 mm L37A2 (GPMG) machine gun mounted on a pintle on the
loader's hatch ring. 4,200 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition are carried. The
Challenger can also mount a Leonardo "Enforcer" remote control
weapons system bearing a 7.62 mm L37A2 (GPMG) machine gun, a 12.7mm heavy
machine gun or a 40mm automatic grenade launcher.
The digital fire control
computer from Computing Devices Co of Canada contains two 32-bit processors
with a MIL STD1553B databus, and has capacity for additional systems, such as a
Battlefield Information Control System.
The commander has a panoramic
SAGEM VS 580-10 gyrostabilised sight with laser rangefinder. Elevation range is
+35� to −35�. The commander's station is equipped with eight periscopes for
360� vision.
The Thermal Observation and
Gunnery Sight II (TOGS II), from Thales, provides night vision. The thermal
image is displayed on both the gunner's and commander's sights and monitors.
The gunner has a stabilised primary sight using a laser rangefinder with a
range of 200 m (660 ft) to 10 km (6.2 mi). The driver's position is equipped
with a Thales Optronics image-intensifying Passive Driving Periscope (PDP) for
night driving and a rear view thermal camera.
The Challenger 2 is a heavily
armoured and well protected tank. The turret and hull are protected by second
generation of Chobham armour (also known as Dorchester), the details of which
are classified but which is said to be more than twice as strong as steel. Crew
safety was paramount in the design, using a solid state electric drive for its
turret and gun movement, thus removing the traditional risk of hydraulic
rupture into the crew compartment. Explosive reactive armour kits are also fitted
as necessary along with additional bar armour. The nuclear, biological and
chemical (NBC) protection system is located in the turret bustle. The tank's
shape is also designed to minimise its radar signature. On each side of the
turret are five L8 smoke grenade dischargers. The Challenger 2 can also create
smoke by injecting diesel fuel into the exhaust manifolds.
The tank's drive system
comprises:
Engine: Perkins 26.1 litre, 60�
Vee, twin turbo-charged, CV12-6A four-stroke, four valve per cylinder (pushrod),
direct injection diesel engine delivering 1200 bhp (895 kW) at 2300rpm. Torque
4126 Nm at 1700rpm. The engine and gearbox are controlled by a Petards Vehicle
Integrated Control System (VICS).
Gearbox: David Brown Santasalo
TN54E epicyclical transmission (6 fwd, 2 rev.) rated at 1200 bhp and upgradable
to 1500 bhp.
Suspension: Horstman Defence
Systems second-generation hydrogas suspension units (HSU).
Track: William Cook Defence
hydraulically adjustable TR60 414 double-pin.
Maximum speed: 37 mph (60 km/h)
on road; 25 mph (40 km/h) cross country
Range: 342 mi or 550 km on road
with external fuel; 156 mi (250 km) cross country on internal fuel.
The tank is also fitted with an
Extel Systems Wedel APU (Auxiliary Power Unit - also referred to as a GUE [Generating
Unit Engine]) based around a 38 kW Perkins P404C-22 Diesel engine, with a 600 A
electrical output which can be used to power the vehicle's electrical systems
when it is stationary and the main engine is switched off, this replaces the
Perkins P4.108 engine fitted when the tank was first introduced. The use of an
APU allows for reduced fuel consumption and lowers the audio and thermal
signature of the vehicle.
As of 2013, the British Army
has, at various events featuring the Challenger 2, begun to state the on road
range of 550 km as opposed to an earlier stated value of 450 km. They have also
publicly stated a maximum road speed of 59 km/h while equipped with 15 tons of
additional modules.
The British Army maintained its
requirement for a four-man crew (including a loader) after risk analysis of the
incorporation of an automatic loader suggested that auto-loaders reduced
battlefield survivability. Mechanical failure and the time required for repair
were prime concerns.
Similar to every British tank since
the Centurion, and most other British AFVs, Challenger 2 contains a boiling
vessel (BV) for water, which can be used to brew tea, produce other hot
beverages and heat boil-in-the-bag meals contained in field ration packs. This
BV requirement is general for armoured vehicles of the British Armed Forces,
and is unique to the armed forces of the UK and India.
The Challenger 2 had been used
in peacekeeping missions and exercises before, but its first combat use came in
March 2003 during the invasion of Iraq. 7th Armoured Brigade, part of 1st
Armoured Division, was in action with 120 Challenger 2s around Basra. The type
saw extensive use during the siege of Basra, providing fire support to the
British forces and knocking out Iraqi tanks, mainly T-54/55s. The problems that
had been identified during the large Saif Sareea II exercise, held 18 months
earlier, had been solved by the issuing of Urgent Operational Requirements for
equipment such as sand filters and so during the invasion of Iraq the tank's
Operational availability was improved.
During the 2003 invasion of
Iraq, the Challenger 2 tanks suffered no tank losses to Iraqi fire, although
one was penetrated by an Improvised explosive device (IED). This was, at the
time, unprotected by Dorchester armour. The driver was injured. In one
encounter within an urban area, a Challenger 2 came under attack from irregular
forces with machine guns and rocket propelled grenades. The driver's sight was
damaged and while attempting to back away under the commander's directions, the
other sights were damaged and the tank threw its tracks entering a ditch. It
was hit by 14 rocket propelled grenades from close range and a MILAN anti-tank
missile. The crew survived, safe within the tank until it was recovered for repairs,
the worst damage being to the sighting system. It was back in operation six
hours later. One Challenger 2 operating near Basra survived being hit by 70
RPGs in another incident.
In August 2006 south east of
al-Amarah, southern Iraq, an RPG-29 capable of firing a tandem-charge
penetrated the frontal lower underbelly armour of a Challenger 2 commanded by
Captain Thomas Williams of The Queens's Royal Hussars. The tank, which had
already been hit by 10�15 RPGs, small arms and sniper fire, was attempting to
draw fire away from another callsign that had become stricken.[citation needed]
Its driver, Trooper Sean Chance, lost part of his foot in the blast; two more
of the crew were slightly injured. Chance was able to reverse the vehicle 1.5
mi (2.4 km) to the regimental aid post despite his injuries. The incident was
not made public until May 2007; in response to accusations that crews had been
told the tank was impervious to the insurgents' weapons, the MoD said "We
have never claimed that the Challenger 2 is impenetrable."[11][12] Since
then, the explosive reactive armour has been replaced with a Dorchester block
and the steel underbelly lined with armour as part of the 'Streetfighter'
upgrade as a direct response to this incident.[citation needed]
Two Challenger 2s have been
damaged in combat, but only one has been destroyed:
25 March 2003: A friendly fire
("blue-on-blue") incident in Basra in which one Challenger 2 of the
Black Watch Battlegroup (2nd Royal Tank Regiment) mistakenly engaged another
Challenger 2 of the Queen's Royal Lancers after detecting what was believed to
be an enemy flanking manoeuvre on thermal equipment. The attacking tank's
second HESH round hit the open commander's hatch lid of the QRL tank sending
hot fragments into the turret, killing two crew members. The hit caused a fire
that eventually led to an explosion of the stowed ammunition, destroying the
tank. It remains the only Challenger 2 to be destroyed on operations.
6 April 2007: in Basra, Iraq, a
shaped charge from an IED penetrated the underside of a tank resulting in the
driver losing three of his toes and causing minor injuries to another soldier.
To help prevent incidents of
this nature, Challenger 2s have been upgraded with a new passive armour
package, including the use of add-on armour manufactured by Rafael Advanced
Defense Systems of Israel. When deployed on operations the Challenger 2 is now
normally upgraded to TES (Theatre Entry Standard), which includes a number of
modifications including armour and weapon system upgrades.
The Challenger Lethality
Improvement Programme (CLIP) was a programme to replace the current L30A1
rifled gun with the smoothbore Rheinmetall 120 mm gun currently used in the
Leopard 2A6. The use of a smoothbore weapon would have allowed Challenger 2 to
use NATO standard ammunition developed in Germany and the US. This includes
tungsten-based kinetic energy penetrators, which do not have the same political
and environmental objections as depleted uranium rounds. The production lines
for rifled 120 mm ammunition in the UK have been closed for some years, so
existing stocks of ammunition for the L30A1 are finite. In 2009, a new
HESH[citation needed] round manufactured in Belgium by Mecar has been trialled.
This means that the Challenger 2 now has available new Tungsten "FIN"
(APFSDS) and HESH rounds, if and when required, which secures a line of
ammunition for its 55 calibre rifled main gun, the L30, when required in the
future.
A single Challenger 2 was fitted
with the L55 and underwent trials in January 2006. The smoothbore gun is the
same length as the L30A1, and is fitted with the rifled gun's cradle, thermal
sleeve, bore evacuator and muzzle reference system. Early trials apparently
revealed that the German tungsten DM53 round was more effective than the
depleted-uranium CHARM 3. The ammunition storage and handling arrangements will
need to be changed to cater for the single-piece smoothbore rounds, instead of
the separate-loading rifled rounds. In 2006, a figure of �386 million was
estimated to fit all Challengers in the British Army with the Rheinmetall 120
mm gun.
CSP
Other improvements have also
been considered, including a regenerative NBC protection system. In addition,
several Challenger 2s had the pintle-mounted GPMG on the loader's crew hatch
replaced with a remote controlled turret, allowing the loader to operate the
weaponry without having to expose himself to enemy fire.
In May 2007, the Ministry of
Defence's Future Systems Group invited BAES to tender for the Challenger 2
Capability Sustainment Program (C2 CSP), which combined all upgrades into one
programme. However, by mid-2008, the programme was in danger of slipping, or
even being cancelled, as a result of defence budget shortfalls.
CLEP
The Challenger 2 Life Extension
Programme (LEP) is designed to replace obsolete equipment, enhance protection,
increase range and provide improved lethality of the tank until an out of
service date of 2035 - extending its life from 2025. The LEP forms the major
component of the "Armour MBT (2025) Programme". In July 2013, it was
confirmed that the Challenger 2 Life Extension Programme (LEP) was in the
concept stage and would be in initial gate by 2014.,[47] this later slipped to
early 2015. In June 2014, it was stated that not all of the 227 Challenger 2s
may be modified to CLEP standard and the smoothbore cannon had been dropped.
A Royal Tank Regiment (RTR)
Newsletter dated December 2015 stated that the LEP includes managing to curb
obsolescence in several turret systems � including TI sights, the Fire Control
Computer (FCC) and electronic architecture in turret. Improved technology will
be integrated as a new system on the platform, which will deliver more accurate
engagements at range and improved FCC power, meaning that CR2 will remain a
"battle winning" asset out to the extended out of service date.
Parallel work strands will provide extensions to virtual training systems,
deliver improved Live Fire Monitoring Equipment (LFME) and work is ongoing to
develop improved 120 mm ammunition. The full scope of the LEP is indicated as
being broken down into four areas:
Surveillance and Target
Acquisition: Updated Commanders Primary Sight, Updated Gunners Primary Sight,
Replacement Thermal Observation and Gunnery Sights (TOGS) and, 3rd Generation
Thermal Imaging (TI).
Weapon Control System: Fire
Control Computer (FCC), Fire Control Panel (FCP) and, Gun Processing Unit (GPU)
Mobility (Through In-Service
Efficiencies): 3rd Generation (Horstman) Hydrogas Suspension, Improved Air
Filtration, CV-12 Common Rail Fuel Injection, Transmission and, Cooling.
Electronic Architecture
(Modernised Electronics): Gunners Control Handles, Video Distribution
Architecture, Generic Vehicle Architecture (GVA) Compliant Interfaces,
Increased On-board Processing and, Improved Human Machine Interface (HMI).
A recent Ministry of Defence
document also identified a "soft kill defensive aid system", the
German MUSS, for the Challenger 2. Active Protection Systems (APS) for armoured
vehicles in the UK armed forces (including the Challenger 2) are being assessed
by the UK Defence Science and Technical Laboratory (DSTL) as part of the MEDUSA
Technical Assessment Programme, this includes the MUSS System. In 2017 a
Challenger 2 was also fitted with a Rheinmetall ROSY rapid obscurant system
including parts from the Israeli Military Industries (IMI) Iron Fist Hard-Kill
APS for development and assessment by the DSTL.
In January 2016 it was reported
by IHS Jane's that the UK's Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S)
organisation had received a number of replies to its pre-qualification
questionnaire (PQQ) for the projected Challenger 2 MBT life extension programme
(LEP) which aims to extend the life of the Challenger 2 out to 2035. In
addition to BAE Systems Combat Vehicles (UK), which is the original equipment
manufacturer (OEM), contenders were stated to include Rheinmetall and
Krauss-Maffei Wegmann of Germany, General Dynamics Land Systems UK, Lockheed
Martin UK, CMI Defence of Belgium, and RUAG Defence of Switzerland.
Around this time a separate
two-year contract was awarded to BAE Systems and Krauss Maffei Wegmann to
develop an update to the bridging variant in part to address the increase in
weight of the Challenger 2 from 62.5t to 75t arising from upgrades made during
the Iraq campaign.
Final bids for the upgrade
programme were submitted in August 2016. The LEP will see the replacement of
most of the tanks electronics, including its sighting systems but does not
envisage a major upgrade of the vehicle's drive systems or replacement of the
120 mm L30A1 rifled gun. Full bidder confirmation was not available at this
time.
On 2 November 2016 it was
reported that teams led by Rheinmetall Landsystem and BAE Systems had been
chosen as preferred bidders for the assessment phase of the LEP by the UK MoD.
The MoD are investing �53 million in the assessment phase. Each contractor
receives �23 million, with an additional �7 million being set aside to cover
additional, unspecified work. The Rheinmetall consortium includes BMT, Pearson
Engineering, Supacat, and Thales UK and includes an option to retrofit
Rheinmetall's 120 mm L55 smooth bore gun should additional funds be made
available. The BAE team includes General Dynamics UK, Qinetiq, Leonardo, Moog
and Safran. Also bidding for the LEP were teams headed by CMI Defence
(Belgium), Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (Germany), Lockheed Martin UK, and RUAG
Defence (Switzerland). It is expected the LEP modernization program could be
worth around �650 million ($802 million) to the eventual winner. On 22 December
2016, an assessment phase award was awarded to BAE Systems and Rheinmetall Land
Systeme GmbH to progress the Challenger 2 Life Extension Project.[58] In order
to maintain the effectiveness of the Thermal Imaging System prior to the award
and implementation of the CR2 LEP, an interim �15.4 million "Challenger 2
Thermal imaging sustainment project" was awarded to BAE Systems on 15
December 2017 to "demonstrate and manufacture" a suitable interim
solution separate to that incorporated in the LEP.
In October 2018, BAE Systems
unveiled its proposed Challenger 2 LEP technology demonstrator, the �Black
Night�. The new improvements include a Safran Paseo commander�s independent
sight, Leonardo thermal imager for the gunner, and Leonardo night sight DNVS 4.
The Black Night Challenger 2 turret has been modified to improve the speed of
traverse and provides greater space as well as regenerative braking to generate
and store power. Other enhancements include a laser warning system and an
active protection system.
In January 2019 Rheinmetall
unveiled details of its proposal for the Challenger 2 LEP. The company�s
solution has been to develop a completely new turret which has a fully digital
electronic architecture, new day and night sights for the commander and gunner,
and a Rheinmetall L55 smoothbore 120 mm gun. The turret was developed on
Rheinmetall�s own initiative and was not funded by the UK MoD for the LEP
assessment phase. The smoothbore gun was not part of the MoD�s LEP requirement,
with the request for proposals focusing on mission system obsolescence. The
Rheinmetall proposal is ambitious and is likely to be significantly more
expensive than the BAE Systems� offering unveiled in 2018. However, the new
turret is necessary if a smoothbore gun is selected. If Rheinmetall�s planned
purchase of a 55% stake in BAE Systems� UK operations is approved the LEP
competition between the companies will continue, an agreement with Rheinmetall
ensuring that the solution will be delivered from Telford regardless of the
contract winner.
HAAIP
Options
for updating the powertrain of Challenger 2 are being analysed separately from
CLEP as part of the Heavy Armour Automotive Improvement Programme (HAAIP). The
contract, awarded to BAE Systems, is evaluating uprating the existing
powertrain or potentially swapping the current CV12 engine for alternative
designs
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