Lieutenant Commander of the Iranian Army Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan announced his country has successfully tested active protection system on its home-made tanks, Fars News Agency (FNA) reported.
“A series of guided missiles are directed towards the tanks and a series of defense equipment, namely IR, are mounted on the tanks to monitor and divert the missiles through rays,” General Pourdastan said.
Noting that the IR system is being used in the Army and Defense Ministry tanks, he said: “We have had this active protection system in the Ground Force too, it has been tested and needs to be mass-produced.”
General Pourdastan added that the active protection system has been successfully tested on the home-made Zolfaqar tanks.
An active protection system is a system designed to prevent line-of-sight guided anti-tank missiles/projectiles from acquiring and/or destroying a target.
Last March, Iran unveiled the country’s newly-manufactured tank named “Karrar” (photo) and launched its mass-production line in a ceremony attended by former Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan.
“The tank can compete with the most advanced tanks in the world in the three main areas of power, precision and mobility as well as maintenance and durability in the battleground,” General Dehqan said, addressing the ceremony.
Noting that the tank is equipped with electro-optical fire control system, laser rangefinder, ballistic computer and enjoys the capability to fire at stable and mobile targets in day and night, he said: “Karrar has the capability to fire missiles and precisely guide them (towards the target).”
General Dehqan added that the tank can also move through pits and rivers and is capable of moving even under water, and said Karrar is equipped with navigation and telecommunication systems and is resistant to electronic warfare.
He underscored that the tank is also equipped with armored protection resistant to different types of anti-armor weapons.
In relevant remarks last year, General Pourdastan said Karrar is as capable as Russia’s T-90 tank and perhaps even better.
