Irans Tank Zulfiqar Vrs The American Tank M1A2 Abrams

Zulfiqar (Persian: ذوالفقار‎ zolfaqaar) is a second generation Iranian main battle tank (MBT), conceived by Brigadier General Mir-Younes Masoumzadeh, deputy ground force commander for research and self-sufficiency of the armed forces. It is named after Zulfiqar, the legendary sword of Hazrat Ali.
The test prototypes of the tank were evaluated in 1993. Six semi-industrial prototypes of the tank were produced and tested in 1997.

Features

The tank has a distinctive box-shaped, steel-welded turret of local design.^[4] The Zulfiqar is believed to be developed from major components of the Russian T-72 and American M48 and M60 tanks.^[5] The suspension is modelled on the M48 /M60 Patton tanks supplied to Iran by the U.S. The SPAT 1200 transmission also seems to be a local development of that of the M-60. Zulfiqar-1's combat weight has been reported to be 36 tonnes with 780 hp diesel engine; giving the tank a 21.7 hp per ton ratio.^[4] Some sources see resemblances between the Zulfiqar design and the Brazilian prototype Osório.^[4]
The Zulfiqar is operated by a crew of three personnel. The automatic loader is believed to be the same one from the T-72 tank.^[6]

Armament

The tank is armed with a 125 mm smoothbore gun 2A46 derived from the T-72, which is fitted with a fume extractor. Its secondary armament consists of a 7.62 mm coaxial and a 12.7 mm machine gun. For the Zulfiqar/T-72 fleet, the Ammunition Group of the Iranian Defense Industries Organization mass produces a standard high explosive 23 kilograms (51 lb) propellant charge which fires the 3 kg warhead at a muzzle velocity of 850 metres per second (2,800 ft/s).
The Zulfiqar-1 uses the Slovenian EFCS-3 fire control system, the same model used on the Type 72Z ("Safir-74"), providing 'fire-on-the-move' technology. The Zulfiqar allegedly mounts a laser-warning pod on the turret. Its design enables the tank to use an Iranian-made package of reactive armor.

Zulfiqar
An Iranian Army Zulfiqar-3 in September 2012.
Type	Main battle tank (MBT)
Place of origin	Iran
Service history
Used by	Islamic Republic of Iran
Production history
Designed	1993
Manufacturer	Shahid Kolah Dooz Industrial Complex
Produced	1996–present
Number built	430 Zulfiqar 3 in 2012
Variants	Zulfiqar 2, Zulfiqar 3
Specifications (Zulfiqar 3)
Weight	52 tonnes
Length	9.20 m (30 ft 2 in)
Width	3.6 m (11 ft 10 in)
Height	2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)
Crew	3
Armour	composite armour
Main armament	125 mm smoothbore tank gun
Secondary armament	12.7 mm and 7.62 mm machine guns
Engine	12-cyl. diesel Zulfiqar 1: 780 hp (630 kW) Zulfiqar 3: AVDS-1790 1500 hp
Power/weight	25.7 hp/ton
Transmission	6-gear SPAT 1200 automatic transmission
Suspension	torsion-bar
Operational range	450 km (280 mi)
SpeedM1 Abrams	70 km/h (43 mph)       M1 Abrams The M1 Abrams is a third-generation main battle tank produced in the United States. It is named after General Creighton Abrams, former Army Chief of Staff and Commander of US military forces in Vietnam from 1968 to 1972. Highly mobile, designed for modern armored ground warfare, the M1 is well armed and heavily armored. Notable features include the use of a powerful gas turbine engine (multifuel capable, usually fueled with JP8 jet fuel), the adoption of sophisticated composite armor, and separate ammunition storage in a blow-out compartment for crew safety. Weighing nearly 68 short tons (almost 62 metric tons), it is one of the heaviest main battle tanks in service. The M1 Abrams entered U.S. service in 1980, replacing the M60 tank. It served for over a decade alongside the improved M60A3, which had entered service in 1978. The M1 remains the principal main battle tank of the United States Army and Marine Corps, and the armies of Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Australia, and Iraq. Three main versions of the M1 Abrams have been deployed, the M1, M1A1, and M1A2, incorporating improved armament, protection and electronics. These improvements, as well as periodic upgrades to older tanks, have allowed this long-serving vehicle to remain in front-line service. The M1A3 is currently under development. M1 Abrams M1A2 Abrams with prototype TUSK equipment (and optional roof mounted remote control .50 machine gun) Type Main battle tank Place of origin United States Service history In service 1980–present Used by U.S. Army, U.S. Marines, Australia, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia See Operators below Wars Persian Gulf War War in Afghanistan Iraq War 2011 Egyptian revolution Production history Designer Chrysler Defense (now General Dynamics Land Systems) Designed 1972–1979 Manufacturer Lima Army Tank Plant (since 1980) Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant (1982–1996) Unit cost US$6.21 million (M1A2 / FY99)] Estimated in 2012 as US$8.58 million (with inflation adjustment) Produced 1979–present Number built 9,000+ Specifications Weight 67.6 short tons (60.4 long tons; 61.3) Length Gun forward: 32.04 ft (9.77 m) Hull length: 26.02 ft (7.93 m) Width 12 ft (3.66 m) Height 8 ft (2.44 m) Crew 4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver) Armor Chobham, RH armor, depleted uranium strike plates, Kevlar mesh M1: Hull & turret – 350 mm vs APFSDS, 700 mm vs HEAT M1A1: Hull & turret – 600 mm vs APFSDS, 700 mm vs HEAT M1A1HA: Hull – 600 mm vs APFSDS, 700 mm vs HEAT, Turret – 800 mm vs APFSDS, 1,300  mm vs HEAT] M1A2: Hull (turret) – 600 (780 mm) mm vs APFSDS, 800 mm (1,060 mm) vs HEAT Main armament 105 mm L52 M68 rifled cannon (M1) 120 mm L44 M256 smoothbore cannon (M1A1, M1A2, M1A2SEP) with 42 rounds Secondary armament 1 × .50-caliber (12.7 mm) M2HB heavy machine gun with 900 rounds 2 × 7.62 mm (.308) M240 machine guns with 8,800 rounds (1 pintle-mounted, 1 coaxial) Engine Honeywell AGT1500C multi-fuel turbine engine 1,500 shp (1,120 kW) Power/weight 24.5 hp/t (18.27 kW/t) Transmission Allison DDA X-1100-3B Suspension Torsion bar Ground clearance 0.48 m (1 ft 7 in) (M1, M1A1) 0.43 m (1 ft 5 in) (M1A2) Fuel capacity 500 US gallons (1,900 l; 420 imp gal) Operational range M1A2: 426 km (265 mi) Speed M1A2: Road 56 km/h (35 mph) Off-road: 40 km/h (25 mph)