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Яusso-Soviэt Forum: Cold War Soviet Armor
For discussions related to cold war era Russo-Soviet armor.
Please help to identify this tank
sauceman
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Ontario, Canada
Joined: September 28, 2006
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Posted: Thursday, September 16, 2010 - 01:43 AM UTC



The turret looks T-55, but the gun, tracks, grenade launchers look updated.


cheers
Gorizont
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Sachsen, Germany
Joined: November 28, 2007
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Posted: Thursday, September 16, 2010 - 05:16 AM UTC
Yes, the lower vehicle looks like a T-72 an the turret like a bit like a T-54/55.
Perhaps this is a "test-vehicle" or a "modification"?

greetings...
Soeren
afv_rob
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England - East Anglia, United Kingdom
Joined: October 09, 2005
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Posted: Thursday, September 16, 2010 - 05:21 AM UTC
duno what it is, but that aint a T-72 hull, its definitely some kind of T-55 modernization, new tracks, gun etc
chefchris
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North Carolina, United States
Joined: February 06, 2006
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Posted: Thursday, September 16, 2010 - 05:36 AM UTC
The base vehicle is a Polish produced T-55. IT has a M68 or L7 105 and the smoke grenade mounts look Chinese. Is this Pakistani? Is that a strange cross wind sensor or some structure behind the tank?

Chris
Luty
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Russia
Joined: August 23, 2005
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Posted: Thursday, September 16, 2010 - 09:30 PM UTC
I think it is something from China.
Very similar like Type 80
chefchris
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North Carolina, United States
Joined: February 06, 2006
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Posted: Friday, September 17, 2010 - 12:13 AM UTC
Not Chinese. Chinese MBTs have their lights mounted outboard, this example has the russian style cage set up as well as the gunners glass on the turret LHS face. The tracks are updated as well -

Anyone?

Chris
Dangeroo
#023
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Zurich, Switzerland
Joined: March 13, 2009
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Posted: Friday, September 17, 2010 - 12:33 AM UTC
Not at all an expert on the subject but it looks like Diehl tracks, a 105mm gun and the smoke dischargers look German to me, similar to the ones on the Leo 2. According to all knwing ( ) Wikipedia there were at least 2 variants of the T-55 with 105, one for India and an upgrade by Royal Ordnance in the UK for Egypt. Maybe one of those?

Cheers!
Stefan
Luty
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Russia
Joined: August 23, 2005
KitMaker: 310 posts
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Posted: Friday, September 17, 2010 - 06:10 AM UTC

Quoted Text

this example has as well as the gunners glass on the turret LHS face. The tracks are updated as well -


the gunner's sight and the coaxial MG slots are Polish/Czech style.
bison126
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Correze, France
Joined: June 10, 2004
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Posted: Friday, September 17, 2010 - 06:24 AM UTC
It is a Safir-74, an Iranian modification based on a T-55 but more probably on a Type 59 tank hence the Chinese smoke dischargers.
Luty
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Russia
Joined: August 23, 2005
KitMaker: 310 posts
Armorama: 299 posts
Posted: Friday, September 17, 2010 - 07:39 AM UTC
Thanks for pointing the way.

But according to this article from the magazine "Foreign Military Review,"
it seems more like an earlier model the Type 72Z. This is a modernization of Soviet-made tanks as well as Chinese. Hence the signs of both countries.
Safir-74 has ERA blocks

P.S. But where is photographed that tank? I never saw the snow in Iran!
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