SinoDefence Forum

DPRKPTboat

Heres some good pics of the 2003 parade in Tehran. They show the elite of the Iranian miltary, including the Shahab 3 missile and sevral indigenous Iranian MBTs.

http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_249.shtml

I'm sure there must have been pardes like this recently. If so, does anyone have any pics of them? And if anybody has a video of one of these events, please post it here - I just love these things.

Vlad Plasmius

I must say, the Zulfiqar is an interesting bit of hardware. Supposedly it's pieced together from a bunch of domestically-produced parts copied from their foreign tanks. However, while it does have some resemblance to the British Chieftan and Russian T-72, it doesn't look like it has very much foreign influence. I'd say it's by all means an indigenous design and make, though undoubtedly they looked at their current tanks for reference and inspiration.

Maybe they ripped some electronics from the other tanks or suspension or something like that, though they've probably worked with them enough to make their own and make them better. It's amazing that Iran's military growth is so poorly covered.

Iran is probably going to be a major world power at this rate.

PiSigma

why are all the tanks and IFVs and the missiles being carried on trucks... they are all self mobile, it just doesn't make any sense. if a heliocopter was carried on a truck i would understand, to give the audience a closer look. but tanks can drive on those streets under their own power. unless it's got something to do with their roads??? not reinforced enough to have tanks roll on them?

__________________
宁作战死鬼，不作亡国奴!

Indianfighter

I agree with the above statement, completely.

Although the Zulfiqar has been pieced together by equipment from other tanks, yet it is quite indigenous, unlike the Al-Khalid tank which is an upgrade of the T902M.
Its uniqueness and that too from a relatively mediocre, isolated and embargoed nation like Iran is interesting.

The tank looks like a mixture of Chieftain and some western-style designs.

"The Iranian Zulfiqar [Zolfaqar] main battle tank is believed to be pieced together or developed from major components of the Russian T-72 and American M48 and M60 tanks. This tank, which is claimed to be in production in Irana, is said to be similiar in configuration to the M-48 and M-60. Other reports suggest that it bears a close resemblance to the American M1 Abrams."

"The Iranian tank is armed with a 125mm smoothbore gun fitted with a fume extractor which may be fed from an automatic loader. It is known that the Zulfiqar uses suspension like that fitted to Western MBTs such as the M48/M60 MBT. The diesel engine is not taken from the T-72 since this has a distinct exhaust outlet on the left side of the hull. This feature is absent on the Zulfiqar."

Source:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita...n/zulfiqar.htm

Iran is also developing the Tosan tank, and the Cobra APC indigenously with inputs from foreign sources.

ahho

If rubber padding is meant for the road, then none of the tank shown was equipped with any rubber padding???

also any know performance predictions about this beast?? Like range and speed??

SteelBird

Since the tanks don't have rubber padding, do you notice that the missile launcher was also carried on a truck too. doesn't it have rubber wheels? or maybe it doesnt have an engine or simply just a model!!!

DPRKPTboat

I always find it interesting how a third-world country like Iran is able make its own indigenous hardware. The Zufiquar is particulary interesting because it seems like such a modern tank. That is one thing that always amazes me about Iran - some of its hardware seems so modern - almost as modern as China's new hardware. And it seems very capable, building its own spare parts, upgrades and weapons. And thats more than can be said for the Iraqi military and its weapons before it was invaded - most of their tanks were obsolete, their Navy was weak as was the air force - both were complete no shows as far as the Iraq war was concerned. The Iranian military seems to be more powerful. But then Iran hasn't had heavy sanctions like Iraq. Even so, I think Iran could prove to be a tough enemy if we go to war with it.
But be careful about saying Iran is a major superpower - remember these parades are intended to create that impression - they show the elite minority of the Iranaian military. In reality, the majority of Iranian equipment is out of date.
As for the question about the trucks, that was something that puzzled me to. Maybe they could be dummies - maybe this was only intended as a showpiece, or the roads weren't properly done - I don't know about the quality of roads in Tehran. It hasn't suffered from economic embargoes like Baghdad did. Getting back to my original question, have their been any more big parades like this recently?

MIGleader

heres the 2004 parade. No tanks though. What amazes me is irans determination not to import any major military hardware, despite having the power to buy quality chinese and russian equipement.

http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_394.shtml

DPRKUnderground

I think this goes for a lot of tanks. The Chinese atrted by copying Soviet tanks, the Merkava is based on numerous Western designs, and the Arjun had a lot of foreign assistance, the same goes with the Al-Khalid as you pointed out. It's amazing that Iran started out with such an original design! But I speculate that it's entirely indigenous, the Russians must have helped them out on electronics, and the turret resembles the Patton and T-72.

adeptitus

Iran has a $182 billion economy and annual military budget of $4.x billion, which is roughly equal (both economy and military expenditure) to Argentina. I don't think they qualify as 3rd world countries.

IMO if a country can afford to spend 4+ billion/year on their military, I think they can afford to develop and build tanks.

The Iraq's military was only large on paper. Saddam rode that country right into the ground. When Saddam Hussein first took power in 1979, Iraq had $36 billion cash reserves and no long-term foreign debt. Thats' $36 billion USD in 1979 money. Saddam went to war the following year and burnt $120 billion alone on first 4 years of Iran-Iraq war. By war's end Iraq owed $27 billion to Western countries and $50 billion to Gulf States, with inflation running at 40%. So what does Saddam do? Start another war by invading Kuwait.

While the elite Republican Guards were better equipped, the conscript Iraqi infantryman was given as few as 4 live rounds for target pratice during basic training.

darth sidious

yet even with such a poor economy they manage to built some modern weapon

example

AWACS made using Il-76 and french radar

super scud with 1200km range

T-72 with extra heavy armour ( armour made from cement rubber steel and other such material)

super cannon that can launch shells into space

Baibar of Jalat

Darth sidious
Are you talking about Iraq?
The iranians never and will not build a super cannon. Or have they? pretty sure they have not.

P.s Iran has got some good higher educational institutions, definately not a third world country.

FriedRiceNSpice

So Iran's GDP is equal to about 30% of the US defense budget, and their military expenditures are equal to about what Bill Gates makes annually. Interesting.

darth sidious

yes a smaller version of the gun is already made before the gulf war and the actual cannon is also under construction but was destroyed after the gulf war

ahho

comparing to the USA does not make any sense at all, the best would be comparing it t neighboring country such as isreal or saudi