Documents
Pakistan Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT)
Al-Zarrar
A deep modernization of the Chinese-origin Type 59 tank carried out by Heavy Industries Taxila, fitting a new 125 mm smoothbore gun, upgraded fire control, composite armor and a more powerful engine to extend the service life of Pakistan's older tank fleet.
In service since 2004 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
55
km/h
450
km range
16.7
hp/t
125
mm gun
40,000
kg
Pricing: Unit cost not publicly disclosed
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
National export licensing
Subject to Pakistan export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 2004. Status: active · ~400 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Compatible munitions & weapons
Publicly reported weapons the Al-Zarrar can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 55 km/h Bottom 10% of main battle tanks
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 450 km Stronger than 31% of main battle tanks
- Power-to-weight
Engine power per tonne of vehicle weight. Higher means better acceleration and cross-country mobility.
- 16.7 hp/t Stronger than 12% of main battle tanks
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 125 mm smoothbore gun
- Secondary armament
Additional weapons: coaxial MG, remote weapon station, gun pods.
- 12.7 mm + 7.62 mm machine guns
- Caliber
Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better, ammunition commonality matters.
- 125 mm
- Ammunition
Rounds carried (main gun) or standard magazine capacity.
- 39 Stronger than 23% of main battle tanks
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
- Armor
Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified.
- Composite armor upgrade package
- Reactive armor
Explosive reactive armor (ERA) blocks that disrupt shaped-charge jets.
- No
- NBC protection
Sealed crew compartment with overpressure filtration for nuclear/biological/chemical environments.
- Yes
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 9 m
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 40,000 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 4
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- 12-cylinder Type 59-derived diesel (upgraded)
- Engine power
Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.
- 730 hp Stronger than 14% of main battle tanks
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Diesel
Munition
Round type, penetration, velocity and projectile data.
- Caliber
Bore diameter the round is fired from.
- 125 mm
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 400 Stronger than 47% of main battle tanks
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 1 Stronger than 24% of main battle tanks
Specifications compiled from public Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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What is the top speed of the Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) Al-Zarrar? +
The Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) Al-Zarrar has a maximum speed of 55 km/h.
What is the range of the Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) Al-Zarrar? +
The Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) Al-Zarrar has a maximum range of 450 km.
How much does the Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) Al-Zarrar weigh? +
The Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) Al-Zarrar has a combat weight of 40,000 kg.
How many crew does the Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) Al-Zarrar require? +
The Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) Al-Zarrar requires a crew of 4.
What is the main armament of the Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) Al-Zarrar? +
The Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) Al-Zarrar's primary weapon is the 125 mm smoothbore gun.
What engine does the Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) Al-Zarrar use? +
The Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) Al-Zarrar is powered by the 12-cylinder Type 59-derived diesel (upgraded).
What is the Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) Al-Zarrar used for? +
The Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) Al-Zarrar is a main battle tank typically used for anti armor.
How many countries operate the Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) Al-Zarrar? +
The Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) Al-Zarrar is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) Al-Zarrar cost? +
Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) Al-Zarrar: Unit cost not publicly disclosed. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
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