Is the Karrar a revolutionary new tank or just an upgraded Soviet relic?

Wars & Conflicts · Published 16 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: When Iran announced the Karrar in 2016, officials claimed it was a domestically built powerhouse. Yet, military specialists see something else: a clever hybrid of Soviet, Russian, American, and British engineering, born from failed negotiations to acquire Russian T-90 technology.

The Karrar's origins lie in a pivot toward self-reliance. In late 2015, Iranian Army Commander Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan expressed interest in purchasing Russian T-90 tanks. However, by February 2016, he announced that negotiations had ended because Iran intended to manufacture similar models domestically. This shift followed failed attempts to secure licenses for T-90MS production from the Russian manufacturer Uralvagonzavod.

While Iranian officials claimed the tank was built 'from scratch' and could match the lethality of the T-90, many experts view it as an evolutionary upgrade of the Soviet-made T-72. The design incorporates various international elements, including features from the American M1 Abrams, the British Challenger 2, and even the M48 and Chieftain. This has led some specialists, such as retired Maj. Gen. Vladimir Bogatyrev, to describe it as a sophisticated copy of the T-90MS platform.

Technically, the Karrar features a 125mm 2A46 smoothbore gun capable of firing anti-tank laser-guided missiles. It utilizes a carousel autoloader to eliminate the need for a human loader and is equipped with a soft-kill active protection system featuring electro-optical jammers and laser warning receivers. The tank's armor is a complex array of Iranian composite materials and explosive reactive armor (ERA), including what appears to be an Iranian version of the Russian Relikt system.

The tank is manufactured at the Bani Hashim Defense Industrial Complex. Though its exact production scale remains unclear, the IRGC planned to procure up to 800 units as of July 2018. By November 2020, production models were deemed ready for service with the Iranian Army.

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