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IRAN MBT. |
Taleblou
Charter Member
Joined: Mar 05, 2002
Posts: 12 |  Posted: 2002-03-05 22:06
Hello All:
In the last decade Iran has shown and developed a variety of ground military equipments. Among them several main battle and one light tanks developed.
These were the Zulfaghar-1, Zulfaghar-2, T-72Z (Safir-74 or modified Iraqi T-54/55) main battle tanks and Tosan light tanks. All of these tanks specially the Zulfaghar and Tosan tabks were fitted with modern night vision and laser range finder targetting systems. The Zulfaghars are covered with a special reactive armour plating for survivability and are very acurate and deadly. Also some of the tanks possibly the Zulfaghars (I am not sure) were fitted with the Iranian version of Rusian AT-3 anti tank guided missiles called touphan. I have several articles on thses tanks and if anyone would like , Iwill be glad to send it to them.
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Tom
ACIG Team
Joined: Jan 20, 2002
Posts: 898
From: Vienna, Austria, EU
| Posted: 2002-03-06 06:38
Hi Ali,
nice to see you back.
This is the only photo of one of two Zulfaghar prototypes I was able to find now:
As can be seen from the photo, the tank has M-60-type roller wheels, and probably the 125mm gun of the T-72 (at least that's what's reported around about it).
I should have two more photos - both in color, and spotting their new camo patterns - of an Zulfghar-2 example already built in series, somewhere on my HD - but can't find them at the moment (will post them here as soon as I find them again).
Let me also add, that the Tosan light tank should be a reverse-engineered copy of the British Scorpion; the Zulfaghar-1 had not any ERA, only the -2 has got it; while the Toophan/Toofan ATGM is actually a copy of the TOW, not of the AT-3
Is there any possibility for you to post some photos from the articles you have here, Ali?
_________________
Regards,
Tom
Site Admin
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PeeD-17
Charter Member
Joined: Mar 01, 2002
Posts: 22
From: ********
| Posted: 2002-03-06 11:12
Hi
I have work on a List with all equipment of Iran’s Army, Air Force and all other known equipment; I have there some info of the Zolfaqar. The list is in German but when I ready with the translation I post it  .
Here the Info about the Zolfaqar I have found:
Zolfaqar A : 50-100?
(From Iran self build MBT, already in service, and more are to be build. (a longer M-60 with T-72S transitive and improved?) 125mm 2A46 full stabilization gun ? 780PS-Diesel V12 ? or more?, new version with 840 PS V-12 motor (Zolfaqar-2?, automatic gun loader, IA40-1 or EFCS-3-55 fire control system with ballistic computer and laser rangefinder, AT-11 ATWG ??? Some with laser warning system equipped? (Improved Zolfaqar-2?) it could be that in future the Zolfaqar(2 or 3) get more powerful motors with more that 1000 PS, a laser guiding system for laser guided weapons (ATGM) is in production and will equip with new Zofaqar (2 or 3?). The Zolfaqar-2 have a Iranian build ERA. The first deliverys (1998-99) where probably for the IRCG but the Army will be get Zolfaqars (2?) too, some reports say that the army is now equipped with this Iranian MBT.
(The Copy right of the photo I think is from the Iranian.com site I hope it makes no problems)
And to the Tosan, I have a picture, I don’t know if it is only a prototype concept or the Tosan but, as can seen it is in the class of the Scorpion, but it have a TOW launcher (Qoqnos Iranian TOW launcher) on the top. It is not a Full Scorpion Copy (for example it has only 6 wheels on the side, Scorpion 7)
Tom and taleblou I would be very grateful when you could bring some photos or articles
PeeD
PS: In the back of the picture, can seen a Iranian AH-1J Internatonal Cobra or a prototype of the Panha 2091?
  
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Taleblou
Charter Member
Joined: Mar 05, 2002
Posts: 12 | Posted: 2002-03-06 22:02
Hello All:
Nice to see you guys again and thanks for the inside info. I looked for those articles I mentioned, but I could not find them and the pictures. I think I forgot to save them on disk when I changed my computer and sold the old one. Anyway I will be looking around the net and if I find any of the pictures or info will let you know. Sorry about it guys. Here is the only data I managed to saved befor computer changed and is on Zulfaqar main battle tank.
To: iran-news@rostam.neda.com
Subject: More details on Zulfaqar Main Battle Tank
From: payman@ebs330.eb.uah.edu (Payman Arabshahi)
Date: Sat, 13 Jan 96 17:38:25 CST
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DATE: 09/24/95
ARMY-TANK PRODUCTION: IRANIAN ARMED FORCES GEARING TOWARDS SELF-SUFFICIENCY
TEHRAN, SEPT. 24, IRNA -- FOLLOWING A POLICY OF 'SELF-RELIANCE', THE ARMED FORCES OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN HAS SUCEEDED IN BUILDING A MODERN TANK, AN OFFICIAL OF THE GROUND FORCES ANNOUNCED. SPEAKING TO THE ENGLISH-LANGUAGE DAILY IRAN NEWS, PUBLISHED
SUNDAY, BRIGADIER GENERAL MIRYUNOS MASOOMZADEH SAID THAT ON THE ORDER OF THE LEADER, AYATOLLAH SEYED ALI KHAMENEI, THE ARMED FORCES IS HEADING TOWARDS SELF-SUFFICIENCY IN FULFILLING THE COUNTRY'S DEFENSE NEEDS.
''RECENTLY,'' HE STRESSED, ''WE HAVE COMPLETED AN IMPORTANT PROJECT FOR THE PRODUCTION OF AN ADVANCED TANK, WHICH HAS BEEN GIVEN THE NAME ZULFAQAR.''
''THE DESIGNING, PLANNING AND PRODUCTION OF THIS SOPHISTICATED TANK WERE ALL DONE BY OUR OWN EXPERTS IN IRAN,'' HE UNDERLINED.
HE ADDED THAT THE 8-YEAR IMPOSED WAR GAVE THE IRANIAN NATION VALUABLE TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE.
IN THE KHUZESTAN WARFRONT, BOTH SIDES HAD TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED TANKS AND WEAPONS AT THEIR DISPOSAL, HE REMARKED, AND
CONTINUED BY SAYING, ''IT WAS A GOOD EXPERIENCE FOR THE ISLAMIC COMBATANTS WHO REALIZED THEIR STRONG AND WEAK POINTS.''
REFERRING TO THE NEWLY BUILT ZULFAQAR, MASOOMZADEH STATED, ''WE HAVE PRODUCED THIS TANK ACCORDING TO OUR COUNTRY'S GEOGRAPHICAL
REQUIREMENTS AND IT CAN BE USED IN BOTH DRY AND WET REGIONS.''
THE TANK, WHICH WEIGHS 40 TONS, HAS A 1,000-HP ENGINE AND A 125-MM CANNON. IT HAS A MAXIMUM SPEED OF 70 KPH AND CAN FIRE WHILE ON THE MOVE.
''ZULFAQAR IS EQUIPPED WITH A LASER TRACKING SYSTEM FOR TARGET
LOCATION AS WELL AS AN INFRA-RED DEVICE FOR NIGHT BATTLES'', HE SAID AND ADDED THAT THE TANK IS ALSO BUILT TO RESIST ARMOR-PIERCING
WEAPONS. THE COUNTRY IS MANUFACTURING THE ZULFAQAR TANK IN LARGE NUMBERS AND CAN EXPORT THEM, IF THE GOVERNMENT REQUESTS SO, HE STATED.
''WE ARE ALSO MAKING ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIERS AND THE PRODUCTION PROCESS HAS REACHED ITS FINAL PHASE,'' THE OFFICIAL SAID.
HE STRESSED THAT EXPERTS AT THE ARMED FORCES ARE ALSO BUSY MODERNIZING AND UPGRADING THE EXISTING STOCKS OF OLD WEAPONS.
''WE ARE USING MODERN COMPUTER SYSTEMS IN MOST OF OUR WEAPONS AND HAVE REPLACED OUR OPTIC DEVICES WITH LASER FOR DETERMINING
DISTANCES,'' HE REPORTED AND CONCLUDED BY SAYING THAT THE IRANIAN ARMED FORCES HAS ALSO SUCCEEDED IN DESIGNING AND PRODUCING A SYSTEM TO IDENTIFY AND REPEL CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND ATOMIC ATTACKS.
Here is another article on the iranian babr tank carrier.
12/14/95
TEHRAN TIMES
CATEGORY: ECONOMICS
WORD COUNT: 80
TEHRAN The Deputy Chairman of Research and Self- Sufficiency Jihad of the Islamic Republic Army's Ground Force, Masoum Zadeh, announced on Tuesday that the force is planning to manufacture 100 Babr tank carriers annually, Central News Bureau reported. The design and construction of the tanks have taken two years he said adding although some of the tank carrier's
equipment have been imported from abroad majority of the parts are made in Iran.
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Tom
ACIG Team
Joined: Jan 20, 2002
Posts: 898
From: Vienna, Austria, EU
| Posted: 2002-03-07 08:57
There is an article in the pilot issue of Army& Arms mag (Oct 2000), in which it was stated, that the T-72Z is an upgrade of captured Iraqi tanks, equipped with the M-68, 105mm, gun, an EFCS-3 FCS of the Slovenian company "Fontana", a new transmission and indigenious ERA. A total of 200 T-55s and 150 Ty-59s were upgraded that way (must be Iranians also captured quite a few Iraqi tanks during the war.... )....
Here is also a pretty good article by Chrisopher Foss about the Iranian tank industries:
http://web.nps.navy.mil/~relooney/Iran_105.htm
Finally, as a curiosity, here a report can be found, which indicates that the Iranians used some M-4 Shermans during the I PGW:
http://web.inter.nl.net/users/spoelstra/g104/iran.htm
_________________
Regards,
Tom
Site Admin
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PeeD-17
Charter Member
Joined: Mar 01, 2002
Posts: 22
From: ********
| Posted: 2002-03-08 14:47
Hi
I have here some low quality photos of some Zolfaqar and T-72Z/Safir-74.
Zolfaqar: 
The first prototypes look much like the M60, but it seems the others (final) have some influence of the T-72 because it seems to be lower and the turret move to the backside. But I think all the pictures are prototypes. I would really want to know if the Zolfaqar have standard steel armour or better combined armour.
T-72Z and Safir-74: 
As can be seen the T-55/Type-59 is equipped with much Iranian ERA
--------------------------------------------
Here are some very low quality pics from Iranian APC's :
I don’t know the name of these.
PeeD
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Tom
ACIG Team
Joined: Jan 20, 2002
Posts: 898
From: Vienna, Austria, EU
| Posted: 2002-03-08 16:29
Thanks Pee,
some excellent photos here, several of which clear many questions!
As you can certainly make out from the photos of the T-72Z, it is indeed actually made of the captured Iraqi the T-55/Ty-69s (notice the 100mm gun - not the 125mm with the fume extractor in the middle of the barrel) and the large road wheels of the T-54/55-family.
_________________
Regards,
Tom
Site Admin
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Tom
ACIG Team
Joined: Jan 20, 2002
Posts: 898
From: Vienna, Austria, EU
| Posted: 2002-03-09 06:51
Thanks to Jim Warford from Tanknet, here are two good photos of the Zulfaghar in camo colours:
This example seems to have a new turret with a different form (it is indeed lower, but also longer, and seems to have a bustle with ammo in the rear, as well as equipment boxes on the side) almost similar to that of the Chieftain, and what looks like a 105mm gun.
_________________
Regards,
Tom
Site Admin
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PeeD-17
Charter Member
Joined: Mar 01, 2002
Posts: 22
From: ********
| Posted: 2002-03-09 13:09
Hi Tom
Really great Photos Tom!!!!!!!!!!
It seems that, this new Zolfaqar have some new Iranian developed Technologies and are one generation higher as the normal Zolfaqar. I would say that this new tank is the Zolfaqar-2. The first one was in the class of the M60 but this new one is like M1/Leo2 or Ajrun (but with less armour and other things), I don’t think that it have a new gen armour like the Cobham but it looks like that in the front part it have about 300-400mm . But I would say this tank have a 1000 PS Motor, it has no ERA or side apron, but ERA is not a good think when the Tank works with infantry . I would not think that the final version have a 105mm cannon because in the text what taleblou have post they say that it have a 125mm gun and with a 105mm Cannon the penetration is about 400-500mm, but for a modern tank a 120-125mm Gun is necessary that have a penetration from 600-800, the 2A46M cannon or a similar Iranian cannon is the real Zolfaqar Gun. The new Tank has 7 roadwheels, the first Zolfaqar have only 6, no Iranian Tank has 7 roadwheels, so it must be a new construction.
Impressive new Iranian developments, first the Behr Rapier system and now the new Zolfaqar, some nice news in the last days
PS: I hope the new Zolfaqar will not end like the Ajrun, and go in full production soonly, I have heard that the Brazilian have give Iran the armour technologie (from the Osorio ?)
[ This Message was edited by: PeeD-17 on 2002-03-09 18:39 ]
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