IX

FV229 Contender

UK·Heavy Tank·HT universal

A heavy coastal defense tank developed in the late 1950s as part of a corresponding program. It was chiefly designed for effective defense against the Soviet Army, which was expected to land on the English Channel shore during wartime. The tank was planned to be equipped with a double-barreled gun system able to cause guaranteed damage to light LSTs and amphibious vehicles, as well as fight tanks on the coast. Its armor, in turn, was supposed to ensure protection not only from tank ammunition but also from naval artillery supporting the landing. The project remained in blueprints.