TEHRAN (Iran News) – The Iranian Army is going to equip the armored divisions with a domestically-manufactured version of T-90 tanks which is more advanced than the previous homegrown tanks, a top general said.
Speaking to the state TV on Thursday night, Commander of the Iranian Army Ground Force Brigadier General Kiomars Heidari said the Defense Ministry and the Armed Forces have jointly developed an Iranian T-90 tank.
The homegrown tank is much more advanced than the Zolfaqar tank, he noted, saying the Iranian T-90 is undergoing final tests before being delivered to the Army Ground Force.
Pointing to seven new features of the new T-90 tank, the general said it is equipped with a new gun stabilizer and chemical defense systems.
The homegrown tank has turned into a weapon for modern warfare, General Heidari noted, saying the Army Ground Force will take delivery of the first batch of the tanks in the Iranian month of Mehr (September 22 – October 21).
He further pointed to new strategies for employing modern military equipment proportional to the new structure of the Army Ground Force.
The Army Ground Force will start using three new types of machine guns, the commander noted, adding that the Army is also going to replace the G3 rifles with a new battle rifle developed by the Iranian Defense Ministry.
Developing nuclear submarines on agenda
Also on Thursday, the commander of the Iranian Army’s Navy Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi said Iran is thinking about manufacturing nuclear submarines.
He underlined that the country’s Defense Ministry has the capability to produce submarines bigger than Fateh.
“None of the international pacts ban using peaceful nuclear energy but when we are talking about peace, it doesn’t find meaning without maintaining defense readiness,” Khanzadi added.
Emphasizing that the Islamic Republic of Iran is in dire need of peaceful nuclear energy, he noted, “There are many threats to our country. Today, if we see the presence of a US aircraft carrier in the region, we should know that it’s propulsion is nuclear and this issue enables it to stay at sea for up to six months”.
Iranian military experts and technicians have in recent years made great headways in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient in the arms sphere.
IRNA and Tasnim News Agency contributed to this story.
- source : Iran Daily, Irannews
