Al-Zarrar tank
The Al-Zarrar (Urdu: الضرار), is a second generation main battle tank (MBT), currently in the services of the Pakistan Army since 2004. The tank is named after Muslim warrior Zarrar bin Al-Azwar.
| Al-Zarrar | |
|---|---|
| Type | Main battle tank |
| Place of origin | Pakistan |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2004–present |
| Used by | Pakistan Army |
| Wars | War in North-West Pakistan |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Heavy Industries Taxila |
| Designed | 1990s |
| Manufacturer | Heavy Industries Taxila |
| Produced | 6 May 2003 |
| Variants | None |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 44 t (97,000 lb) |
| Length | 31.17 ft (9.50 m) |
| Width | 10.83 ft (3.30 m) |
| Height | 8.20 ft (2.50 m) |
| Crew | 4 |
| Shell | 125mm smoothbore |
| Calibre | 125 mm |
| Armour | Modular composite armour Explosive reactive armour |
Main armament | 125 mm smoothbore ammunition |
Secondary armament | 12.7 mm external anti-aircraft machine gun 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun 8 × smoke grade dischargers |
| Engine | 1xKMDB 12 cylinder liquid cooled diesel 730 hp |
| Power/weight | 18.3 hp/tonne |
| Suspension | High-hardness-steel torsion bar |
Operational range | 450 km (280 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 65 km (40 mi)/h |
It is a highly upgraded version of Pakistan's ageing Chinese Type 59 tanks (a design that in turn was based on the Soviet T-54A from the mid-1950s), developed with Ukrainian assistance and manufactured by the Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) – the hub of Pakistani tanks and tracked vehicles, featuring a 125 mm smoothbore gun as primary weapon. The Al-Zarrar can achieve a maximum speed of 65 km (40 mi) per hour, weighs around 44 tons and has a four-man crew: commander, gunner, loader and driver.
Although the upgrade program started in 1990 the Al-Zarrar did not enter military service with the Pakistan Army Armoured Corps until 2004, gradually replacing the Type 59s. It is the most plentiful tank in Pakistan's arsenal, with over 500 units in service and an additional 600 Type-59s to be upgraded. Attempts were made to export the Al-Zarrar to the Bangladesh Army in 2008 to replace its massive fleet of Type 59 tanks through the technology transfer. However, Bangladesh Army later upgraded its Type-59 tanks to Type 59 Durjoy, Pakistan Army remained its sole operator.