The Tosan (sometimes known as Towsan,[1] meaning "wild horse" or "fury"[2]) is an Iranian light 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
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 the IRGC ground 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
The Tosan's design is based on the British FV101 Scorpion;[4] the tank is fitted with a 90 mm gun, Toophan missile 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
- Sayyad - lightweight version of Tosan designed as a "quick reaction" vehicle
- "Tosan 30" - variant armed with 30 mm Shipunov 2A42 autocannon[citation needed]
Operators
Iran: Used by the Iranian Army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.[5]
References
- ^ a b c "Archived copy" (PDF). www.tau.ac.il. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 February 2007. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ a b c Globalsecurity "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". www.forecastinternational.com.
- ^ a b Larson, Caleb (May 12, 2020). "Iran's Miniature Tosan Tank: One of the Smallest on Earth". The National Interest.