Duhok-based SHIELD has unveiled the B70, a 25-ton armored vehicle it says was designed and manufactured locally, highlighting Kurdistan's emerging defense industry.

By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj

DUHOK, Kurdistan Region — Kurdistan’s ambitions to build an indigenous defense industry have taken a striking new form with the unveiling of the B70, a 25-ton armored vehicle developed by a Duhok-based Kurdish company that says it designed the platform from the ground up.

Anwar Atroshi Company SHIELD says the B70 was designed and manufactured by Kurdish engineers and technicians at its facility in Duhok rather than assembled from an existing foreign model. The company describes the vehicle as a domestically produced main battle tank and says it has already undergone field testing in mountainous terrain, open areas and water.

The unveiling is more than a technological curiosity.

It represents an attempt to move the Kurdistan Region from being primarily a consumer of imported military equipment toward becoming a producer of its own armored platforms—and potentially, if institutional support materializes, the foundation of a broader Kurdish defense-industrial sector.

But the B70 also raises difficult questions about production capacity, technical certification, financing, military integration and whether a small private company can transform an ambitious prototype into a sustainable defense-manufacturing operation.

From Repairing Armored Vehicles to Building One

The story of the B70 reportedly began long before the vehicle itself appeared.

SHIELD, established in 2014, initially focused on maintaining and refurbishing vehicles and armored units before expanding into manufacturing. The company says it has subsequently produced several armored vehicles for military, security and civilian applications, including protected vehicles used by companies and diplomatic missions.

That evolution is important.

Building an armored vehicle from scratch requires a substantially different industrial capability from repairing an existing one. It requires engineering, metalworking, vehicle integration, drivetrain expertise, suspension and track development, electronics, sensors and testing.

According to company owner Anwar Saeed, SHIELD has gradually accumulated that experience.

The B70 is effectively the company's attempt to take the next step.

“We didn't copy anyone; we designed it ourselves from the ground up,” Saeed told Kurdistan24.

That claim will require independent technical assessment before the B70's actual capabilities can be established. But even the attempt to design a heavy armored platform locally represents an unusual development for a region whose security forces have historically depended heavily on imported equipment and foreign military assistance.

What Is the B70?

The company describes the B70 as a 25-ton military vehicle incorporating sensors and laser-based systems.

Saeed says the vehicle has been tested in several environments, including mountainous terrain, open areas and water.

The emphasis on mountainous testing is particularly relevant to Kurdistan.

The region's geography is radically different from the environments in which many conventional armored platforms were originally designed. Kurdistan combines high mountains, rugged valleys, open plains and difficult road networks, creating distinctive requirements for military mobility.

A vehicle developed locally can theoretically be adapted to those conditions more easily than a platform designed primarily for another battlefield.

But the B70 is still a work in progress.

Saeed acknowledged that elements of the vehicle's running and track systems are still being finalized. That admission is significant because mobility is among the most demanding components of armored-vehicle design.

Armor and sensors can attract attention, but the ability to reliably move a 25-ton platform across difficult terrain, maintain it under operational conditions and sustain its mechanical systems is what ultimately determines whether an armored vehicle is militarily useful.

One Tank a Month

SHIELD says that at full production capacity it could manufacture approximately one vehicle per month.

That would amount to roughly 12 vehicles annually.

For a major military-industrial complex, that is tiny.

For a Kurdish private company attempting to establish an indigenous armored-vehicle industry, however, it would represent a meaningful beginning.

The difference between producing one prototype and producing one reliable vehicle every month is enormous.

It requires predictable financing, supply chains, trained workers, quality control, testing infrastructure and institutional customers willing to place orders.

That is why the company's call for greater support from the Kurdistan Regional Government and Peshmerga authorities is perhaps more important than the unveiling itself.

The B70 has demonstrated that local engineers can attempt to build the platform.

The next question is whether Kurdistan's institutions are prepared to help create an ecosystem capable of producing it at scale.

The Cost Question

SHIELD also makes an ambitious economic argument.

Saeed compared the estimated cost of the B70 with imported armored vehicles, saying that a comparable foreign model sold internationally for around $2 million could potentially cost his company approximately one-quarter of that figure to manufacture locally.

If the claim is ultimately demonstrated through transparent procurement and independent cost assessments, the economic implications could be significant.

Defense equipment is expensive not only because of its design but because of foreign procurement, transportation, maintenance, spare parts and supply-chain dependencies.

Local production could potentially reduce some of those costs while creating domestic engineering jobs and industrial expertise.

But the headline price of a vehicle is not the same as the total cost of operating it.

A serious assessment would need to examine the B70's armor protection, powertrain, sensors, weapons integration, communications, reliability, maintenance requirements, spare parts and lifecycle costs.

Until those factors are independently evaluated, the company's cost claims should be treated as manufacturer estimates rather than established facts.

The Peshmerga Opportunity

The most obvious potential customer is the Peshmerga.

The Kurdistan Region's military forces have spent decades relying on a mixture of imported equipment, donated weapons and locally maintained platforms.

The war against ISIS demonstrated both the capabilities and vulnerabilities of the Peshmerga.

Foreign military assistance was crucial to defeating ISIS, but the experience also highlighted the risks associated with depending on external suppliers for equipment, spare parts and technical support.

A locally produced armored vehicle could theoretically offer several advantages.

Maintenance could be conducted closer to the end user.

The vehicle could be modified according to local requirements.

Spare parts could potentially be manufactured domestically.

And procurement could create a direct relationship between Kurdish engineers and the forces actually operating the platform.

That does not mean locally produced equipment should automatically replace foreign systems.

The real strategic value would come from diversification.

A Peshmerga force able to combine foreign technology with domestic manufacturing would have greater resilience than one dependent entirely on external suppliers.

The Bigger Ambition Behind the B70

Saeed's ambition reportedly extends well beyond the B70.

He says SHIELD has additional designs under development and believes the company could produce larger and more sophisticated vehicles if it receives sufficient support from the Kurdistan Regional Government and Peshmerga authorities.

That is where the story becomes much larger than one company.

The Kurdistan Region has long sought to diversify its economy beyond oil and public-sector employment. Advanced manufacturing could become one potential avenue for that diversification.

A defense-industrial ecosystem would require engineers, technicians, software specialists, metalworkers, electronics manufacturers and specialized suppliers.

Those capabilities could have applications beyond the military.

Robotics, automotive manufacturing, industrial machinery, communications and advanced engineering can all benefit from the same underlying technical infrastructure.

In that sense, the B70 could be viewed not merely as a tank project but as an experiment in Kurdish technological self-reliance.

The Government Has a Decision to Make

The company says it is waiting for greater institutional support and cooperation from the Peshmerga and Kurdistan Regional Government.

That places a strategic choice before Erbil.

Does the government treat the B70 as an isolated private-sector project, or does it view indigenous defense manufacturing as a strategic industry worth developing?

There is a strong argument for the latter—but with conditions.

Government support should not simply mean purchasing prototypes because they are locally made.

A credible defense-industrial policy would require independent testing, transparent procurement, technical certification, safety standards and measurable performance requirements.

The B70 should have to prove itself against those standards.

If it does, the government could potentially provide financing, research partnerships, industrial land, procurement guarantees and cooperation between manufacturers and Peshmerga technical units.

That would turn patriotism into industrial policy.

Masrour Barzani's Role

The project has already attracted political attention.

Saeed said Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani visited the company's display at the Zakho International Fair and described its achievements as “unprecedented,” while expressing support for the company's efforts.

That recognition could become important if SHIELD seeks to transition from prototype development to mass production.

Political support alone, however, will not build a defense industry.

The region will need institutions capable of converting political endorsement into technical standards, investment, procurement and long-term industrial planning.

The B70 therefore represents a test not only for SHIELD but also for the Kurdistan Region's policymakers.

Kurdistan's Defense Industry Could Be Strategic

The emergence of indigenous armored-vehicle production carries geopolitical significance because of where Kurdistan sits.

The region borders Iran and Turkey and lies within a security environment shaped by Baghdad, Washington and regional military powers.

The Peshmerga has also historically occupied a strategically important position in the international fight against terrorism.

That geography makes defense capability a permanent issue rather than an optional industrial ambition.

But it also means that any expansion of Kurdish military manufacturing will attract attention.

The Kurdistan Region will need to carefully balance its security requirements with its constitutional relationship with Baghdad and its relationships with neighboring countries.

An indigenous defense industry does not necessarily mean an independent military-industrial complex operating outside Iraq's broader security architecture.

It could instead mean building domestic capabilities that complement the Peshmerga's existing role and reduce unnecessary dependence on foreign procurement.

The Real Test Begins Now

The B70's unveiling is impressive.

But the unveiling is the easy part.

The difficult part is producing the second vehicle.

Then the tenth.

Then the fiftieth.

Can SHIELD maintain quality? Can it develop reliable engines and drivetrains? Can it establish domestic supply chains? Can the vehicle pass independent military testing? Can the Peshmerga integrate it into its doctrine and logistics system? Can the government establish a procurement framework that rewards performance rather than political connections?

Those questions will determine whether the B70 becomes a symbol—or the beginning of something much bigger.

For now, the vehicle represents an important experiment.

A Duhok company that once focused on maintaining and refurbishing vehicles is now attempting to design and manufacture its own 25-ton armored platform.

That is a significant leap.

And if Kurdistan's institutions can provide the right combination of investment, oversight and technical support, the B70 could become the first visible piece of a much broader Kurdish defense-manufacturing ecosystem.

The strategic objective should not simply be to build a Kurdish “tank.”

It should be to build the engineering capacity, industrial supply chains and technological expertise that allow Kurdistan to build what its security environment requires.

That is the real significance of the B70.

Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj is the founder of Kurdish Policy Analysis and a geopolitical analyst specializing in Kurdistan, Iraq, Iran, regional security and energy politics. He holds a PhD from Brunel University London and has published extensively on Kurdish politics, Middle Eastern geopolitics, security and strategic affairs.

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