Tosan tank
| Tosan | |
|---|---|
 A supposed Tosan light tank during an Army Day parade in 2013. | |
| Type | Light tank |
| Place of origin | Iran |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1997–present |
| Used by | SeeOperators |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Alvis |
| Produced | 1997 |
| No.built | Few made. Actual numbers unknown[1] |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | ~ 8 tonnes |
| Length | 4.9 m |
| Width | 2.2 m |
| Height | 2.1 m |
| Crew | 3 |
| Armour | 12.7 mm |
Main armament | 90 mm gun or 30 mm2A42autocannon |
Secondary armament | Toophan |
| Engine | Diesel |
| Suspension | Torsion bar |
TheTosan(sometimes known asTowsan,[1]meaning "wild horse" or "fury"[2]) is an Iranianlight tank.Iran calls it a "Quick Reaction" tank because the tank is said to be capable of rapid response and is built for strategic missions.[citation needed]
History
[edit]Production started in 1997,[2]but the tank was only produced in small numbers.[1]Colonel Nasser Arab-Beigi, head of the self-sufficiency unit of theIRGCground forces,announced the mass-production of the Tosan on June 30, 2008, as part of the country's campaign for defense self-sufficiency.[citation needed]
In July 2020, Tosans were deployed to the northwestern borders of Jolfa and Khodaafarin due to escalating tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan.[3]
Design
[edit]The Tosan's design is based on theBritishFV101 Scorpion;[4]the tank is fitted with a 90 mm gun,Toophanmissile launchers (some were mounted),[5]and improved firing and targeting systems.[citation needed]The tank can drive long distances on its tracks and does not need to be carried on trucks.[2]
Iranian sources reported that the Tosan's front armor is armored against bullets up to 12.7 caliber.[citation needed]It is equipped with a diesel engine.[citation needed]
Variants
[edit]- Sayyad- lightweight version of Tosan designed as a "quick reaction" vehicle
- "Tosan 30" - variant armed with 30 mmShipunov 2A42autocannon[citation needed]
Operators
[edit]
Iran:Used by the Iranian Army and theIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.[5]
References
[edit]- ^abc"Archived copy"(PDF).tau.ac.il.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 16 February 2007.Retrieved15 January2022.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^abcGlobalsecurity"Tosan".10 July 2008.
- ^Network, Frontier India News (November 7, 2020)."Iranian armour deployed at northwestern borders of Jolfa and Khodaafarin".Frontier India.
- ^"Forecast International".forecastinternational.
- ^abLarson, Caleb (May 12, 2020)."Iran's Miniature Tosan Tank: One of the Smallest on Earth".The National Interest.
External links
[edit]
Media related toTosan light tankat Wikimedia Commons