The Type 72Z tank (also known as the T-72Z and the Safir-74, and the Al-Zubair I in Sudan) is a highly modernized version of the Type 59 and T-54/T-55 tanks, with upgrades carried out by the Iranian Defense Industries Organization. The tank is not to be confused with an Iraqi modernization also known as ''T-72Z'', said to carry a 125 mm gun.

History

The Type 72Z was first announced by the

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC; fa, سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی, Sepāh-e Pāsdārān-e Enghelāb-e Eslāmi, lit=Army of Guardians of the Islamic Revolution also Sepāh or Pasdaran for short) is a branch o ...

in 1996. The upgrades to the Type 59 and T-54/T-55 tanks were carried out by the Vehicle Industries Group of the Defence Industries Organization, in order to extend the service life of tanks already in use with the Iranian army.

Upgrades

The 100mm gun of the T-55/Type 59 was replaced with an Iranian-produced derivative of the 105mm M68 gun, capable of firing 9M117 Bastion anti-tank guided missiles as well as NATO standard ammunition. The Slovenian Fotona Electronic Fire Control System (EFCS-3-55) was added, with automatic and manual gun stabilizers, a

laser rangefinder A laser rangefinder, also known as a laser telemeter, is a rangefinder that uses a laser beam to determine the distance to an object. The most common form of laser rangefinder operates on the time of flight principle by sending a laser pulse in ...

, second-generation night sights, a ballistic computer, and an independent viewer and target designation system for the commander. Electric

smoke grenade discharger A grenade launcher is a weapon that fires a specially-designed large-caliber projectile, often with an explosive, smoke or gas warhead. Today, the term generally refers to a class of dedicated firearms firing unitary grenade cartridges. The mo ...

s were also added to provide concealment on top of the existing ability to create a smoke screen by injecting diesel fuel into the left exhaust outlet. Explosive reactive armor (ERA) developed by the Shahid Kolah Dooz Industrial Complex can be fitted to the Type 72Z, providing protection against projectiles and napalm-type weapons. Side track skirts similar to those on the Type 59 were added to T-54/T-55 tanks upgraded with ERA. The engine was replaced with a Ukrainian 780 hp V46-6 diesel engine, together with the SPAT-1200 transmission system. Air conditioning, power steering and a fire suppression system are also believed to have been installed.

Variants

* Safir-74 - Iranian T-54/T-55 tanks which have gone through similar upgrades. Safir means "messenger" in

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

. * Al-Zubair I - Sudanese variant of the Type 72Z manufactured by the

Military Industry Corporation The Military Industry Corporation is the state-run defense corporation of Sudan. It is responsible for the production of a wide range of defense equipment, such as munitions, firearms, artillery etc. History The MIC was established by national d ...

, with the engine upgraded with a

supercharger In an internal combustion engine, a supercharger compresses the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to produce more power for a given displacement. The current categorisation is that a supercharger is a form of forced induct ...

Operators

* ** Ground Forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard CorpsGalen Wright (15 March 2011) ''Iranian Military Capability 2011 - Ground Forces'' **

Islamic Republic of Iran Army Ground Forces The Islamic Republic of Iran Army Ground Forces ( fa, نیروی زمینی ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ایران, ''Niroo-ye Zamini-ye Artesh-e Jomhuri-ye Eslâmi-ye Iran''), acronymed NEZAJA ( fa, نزاجا, NEZEJA) are the ground forc ...

* : First purchased in 2006.

Non-state operators

* Kata'ib Hezbollah

References