Iran Press/ Iran news: Before the victory of the Islamic Revolution, Iran had purchased American M113 and Soviet BTR 50 armored personnel carriers, as well as BTR 60 wheeled personnel carriers.
Perhaps, the Ground Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Army felt no much operational need for this category of armored vehicles in the previous decades, unlike the sand combat personnel carriers that were taken into consideration by both the army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).
Nonetheless, there was a need for wheeled personnel carriers to complement the armored vehicles unit in the country, with the first armed force group needing it was the border guard forces.
One such product in the Iranian defense industry is the Tosan wheeled armored personnel carrier.
Tosan 8*8 armored personnel carrier was unveiled in 2020 in the Sacred Defense Museum Complex in Tehran.
The 18-ton vehicle is capable of carrying 8 individuals and is equipped with an engine of 430 steam horses of power, a maximum velocity of 100 km/h, and a range of 500 km.
Still, Tosan is capable of crossing 60% longitudinal and 30% cross-sectional slopes and passing over 0.7 m barriers and 1.4 m canals.
Totally in size, the armored vehicle is 7.64 m long, 3.2 m wide, and 2.9 m high. A double V-shaped suspension system, hydraulic steering, and pneumatic-hydraulic brake system are applied in the military vehicle.
The gun turret installed on Tucson includes a 30 mm 42A-2 weapon with an effective range of 4,000 meters the capability of engaging flying targets and a capacity to shoot 500 rounds of bullets. The secondary weapon is a 7.62-meter gun with a range of 2,000 meters and a reserve of 2,000 bullets. The engine is installed at the rear part and entries are embedded at the sides.
If equipped with propulsion systems suitable for moving in water, the carrier can fulfill the needs of amphibious personnel carriers for the Iranian armed forces and foreign customers, in comparison to the BTR 60 and its improvements.
Tosan armored personnel carrier is a good substitute for the BTR 60 ones in IRGC and Army Ground Force.
203
Read More:
Iran's army unveils cutting-edge drone, radar in sweeping military exercise
