Iran Unveils Upgraded M60 Tanks, Renamed “Soleiman-402”

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – The Iranian military has announced that the American-made M60 tanks, inherited from the previous regime, have been upgraded and are now entering service with the country’s armed forces.

The upgraded M60 tanks, which have undergone comprehensive modernization, are now known by a new name, Soleiman-402.

Iran inherited approximately 150 to 200 M60 tanks from the United States during the era when the country was governed by the pro-Western Shah of Iran.

The unveiling of the upgraded M60 tanks took place yesterday at the Shahid Zarharan Army Center and was attended by the Commander of the Iranian Army, Major General Seyed Abdul Rahim Mousavi.

Iranian media outlets have released images of the upgraded M60 tanks, revealing a significantly different design compared to the original.

 

Based on these images, the Soleiman-402 tanks are equipped with modern systems and components, including new, more resilient armor, advanced targeting sights, a new jammer system similar to the SHTORA, updated communication systems, and a Remote Control Weapon System (RCWS).

According to Brigadier General Koumars Heydari, all remaining M60 tanks in the Iranian Army’s inventory will be upgraded to the Soleiman-402 standard.

 Initially, Iran possessed around 460 M60 tanks acquired from the United States during the Shah’s reign, but this number has dwindled to approximately 150 to 200 due to combat losses and mechanical failures.

During the Shah’s pro-Western administration, Iran acquired American-made tanks such as the M60 and British-made Chieftain tanks as part of efforts to modernize its armored forces.

However, following the Shah’s downfall, Iran faced economic and military sanctions from Western nations, making it difficult to obtain spare parts for the American-made M60 tanks.

In response, Iran initiated the upgrade of its existing tanks and developed new tanks such as the Zulfiqar and Karrar.

After a decade of development, the Iranian Army began integrating its latest main battle tank, the “Karrar,” into its armored units in December last year.

The 51-ton “Karrar” main battle tank, which bears a resemblance to Russia’s T-90 tank, was fully developed by Iran’s defense industry, using the Russian T-72 tank as its foundational model.

However, the Karrar features a different turret compared to the T-72.

According to senior Russian military officials, the design of the “Karrar” tank closely resembles the advanced variant of Russia’s T-90MS tank, while also incorporating features found in the American-made Abrams and British-made Challenger tanks.

In December of last year, several images on the “Iran Defense” social media platform showed five “Karrar” tanks being transported by Volvo FH-16 transport vehicles to Khuzestan Province, home to the 92nd Armored Division of the Iranian Army.

 

The “Karrar” main battle tank was first showcased to the public in 2016, and a year later, in 2017, Iran’s then-Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan inaugurated the tank’s production facility at the Bani-Hashem Armor Industry Complex in Dorud, Lorestan Province.

The Iranian Army, known as “Nezaja,” has reportedly received five of the latest “Karrar” tanks, though these differ from the variant used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The IRGC’s “Karrar” tanks are equipped with a Remote Control Weapon System (RCWS) armed with a 12.7mm machine gun, while the “Karrar” tanks used by Nezaja lack this feature.

The IRGC is reportedly set to receive around 800 of these “Karrar” main battle tanks. — DSA