Iran Unveils New Main Battle Tank “Karrar”: Weighing 51 tons, resembling Russia’s T-90
Iran Unveils New Main Battle Tank “Karrar”: Weighing 51 tons, resembling Russia’s T-90
Iran’s new main battle tank, the Karrar, has recently been integrated into the country’s army, marking the culmination of a decade-long development process.
Weighing in at 51 tons, the Karrar closely resembles Russia’s T-90 main battle tank and was developed using the T-72 as its basis. However, the tank features a unique turret design that sets it apart from its Russian predecessor.
According to senior Russian military officials, the Karrar’s design is nearly identical to that of the T-90MS variant, but it also incorporates elements from American and British tanks, such as the Abrams and Challenger, respectively.
The Karrar’s unveiling to the public took place in 2016, followed by the inauguration of its production facility at the Bani-Hashem Armor Industry Complex in Lorestan in 2017.
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The tank’s armament system includes a 125mm smoothbore gun that can fire various standard projectiles, including armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS), high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT), and high-explosive fragmentation (HEF). It can also launch guided anti-tank projectiles.
The Karrar is equipped with Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) on its front and turret, as well as additional armor on the top. The side positions of the tank will be fitted with composite armor modules.
The tank’s engine allows it to reach a maximum speed of 70 km/h with an operational radius of 550 km. The crew of three is protected by NBC (Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical) protection, night vision equipment, electro-optical fire control systems, a laser rangefinder, ballistic computer, Battle Management System, and digital control panels.
Recently, five Karrar tanks were transported by Volvo FH-16 vehicles to the Khuzestan Region, which is near the border with Iraq and not far from Baghdad.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is expected to receive approximately 800 units of the Karrar main battle tank.
Members of Nezaja have already received five Karrar tanks, although their variants differ from those used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Nezaja tanks do not have a Remote Control Weapon System (RCWS) armed with a 12.7mm machine gun like those used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.