Iran unveils new battle tanks

TEHRAN,Feb.5(MNA) – Upgraded domestically manufactured Zolfaqar and Samsam tanks were unveiled during a ceremony held on Monday. During the ceremony, Army Commander Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan said that some components and specifications of the “indigenous” Zolfaqar tank were more advanced than the Russian T-72 tank. He also said that the military vehicle had been equipped with advanced systems, including a fire control system, which had been installed on M60 tanks. In addition, he said that using advanced tanks would increase the capabilities of the cavalry units of the army. Pourdastan had previously said that the stabilizer of the new version of the Zolfaqar tank had been upgraded, adding that the tank would be mass-produced after receiving the approval of the office of the chief of the general staff of the armed forces. The Zolfaqar tank is Iran’s main domestically manufactured battle tank. The tank has a distinctive box-shaped, steel-welded turret of local design. The Zolfaqar is operated by a crew of three personnel. The tank is armed with a 125 mm smoothbore gun 2A46, which is fitted with a fume extractor. Its secondary armament consists of a 7.62 mm coaxial and a 12.7 mm machine gun.