Zulfiqar MBT

The Zulfiqar (ذوالفقار) is an Iranian main battle tank (MBT), conceived by Brigadier General Mir-Younes Masoumzadeh, deputy ground force commander for research and self-sufficiency of the armed forces. It is named after Zulfiqar, the legendary sword of Ali, the fourth Caliph and the first Shiite Imam.

The test prototypes of the tank were evaluated in 1993. Six semi-industrial prototypes of the tank were produced and tested in 1997.

Variants

 * Zulfiqar I: The Zulfiqar-1 is based on the M60 Patton IV model acquired under the pre-revolution era. The Zulfiqar-1 was first revealed in public in 1994. A total of six prototypes were completed and field tested in 1997. The Zulfiqar-1 is protected by a welded steel hull and the turret is reinforced by a composite armor. The Zulfiqar-1 is armed with a 125mm Smoothbore gun taken from a T-72.
 * Zulfiqar II: The Zulfiqar-2 is an interim main battle tank prototype used as a test bed. This variant is fitted with a new and more powerful engine. It has an extended chassis and possibly uses an improved autoloader.
 * Zulfiqar III: The Zulfiqar-3 is the most advanced variant of the Zulfiqar family. It features considerable upgrades to the fire control system, chassis, engine and main gun. The new variant is equipped with the Rheinmetall 120mm/55-caliber smoothbore cannon with an autoloader, a laser rangefinder and a new fire control system. It is also fitted with a reinforced turret and the wheels are covered by an armored skirt.

Users

 * Iran
 * Islamic Republic of Iran Army x 150 Zulfiqar I, 100 Zulfiqar III