Islamic Republic of Iran Navy

Islamic Republic of Iran Navy
Branches & Manpower
Navy	13,400
Marines	2,600
Aviation	2,000
Total	18,000
Commander of the Navy
Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari

File:OP KILO.JPG

One of Iran's 3 Kilo class submarines

The Iranian Navy has traditionally been the smallest branch of Iran's armed forces and is designed solely for securing its own ports and coast, with little in the way of striking power. Before 1971, the Iranian Navy mostly operated equipment provided by the United States and the United Kingdom. Over the following eight years, the fleet added more modern American and British-made destroyers, frigates and many smaller vessels, including powerboats and hovercraft.

In the 1970s, Iran planned to extend its naval reach into the Indian Ocean; but this goal was curtailed by the Islamic Revolution (1979), the Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988), and limited funding ever since. This has left the navy with a limited ability to project power from the Persian Gulf into the Arabian Sea (Omman Sea) through submarines and larger surface ships. The last Shah of Iran ordered four modern destroyers from the United States, an order that was cancelled after the Shah fell. The ships were instead commissioned in the U.S. Navy as the Kidd class.

After the Islamic Revolution, the United States levied economic, trade and military sanctions on Iran, squeezing in particular the Navy, which had several ships laid up.

In the 1990s, the Navy added patrol boats, submarines, and surface-launched anti-ship missiles, and replaced Western ships with ones bought from China, North Korea, and Russia. During that time, it also engaged in naval exercises with Pakistan and India.

In terms of major surface ships, Iran's three destroyers are over 50 years old and none of them are operational. Completely lacking in capital ships, Iran's largest ships are five frigates and three corvettes, all of which are armed with modern anti-ship missiles. Three of five frigates (Vosper Mark 5), however, were commissioned over 25 years ago and their effectiveness is almost non-existent, although these ships have been updated with with Chinese C-802 missiles. Iran's three corvettes commissioned over 30 years ago, where one (the Hamzeh) was originally the government yacht but has now been equipped with Chinese C-802 missiles as well, its effectiveness is also almost non-existent. These eight ships are supported by three Russian SSK Kilo attack submarines and Ghadir and Nahang class mini submarines.[1] [2] [3] [4] This Kilo is considered the quietest diesel submarine there is . The core of Iran's fighting ships are several Chinese, French and Iranian made small missile boats. In particular there are five Chinese Cat-14 fast attack catamarans of very recent design and build. These catamarans are believed to travel at 50 knots, and are extremely stable and mobile. All five catamarans are armed with the latest design of Chinese anti-ship missiles. The rest of Iran's navy are 250 small costal and inshore patrol boats.

Requirements

Suffering from decaying Western-supplied weapons purchased by the Shah, Tehran has been attempting to acquire new weapons from Russia, China and North Korea. Despite efforts to enhance their operational capabilities through frequent man oeuvres, both navies of the Islamic Republic of Iran are in meager condition, and the government is failing to re-equip them adequately with modern ships and weapons. Some of the procurements after the Iran-Iraq War, such as submarines, fast-attack missile craft, mines and Anti-Ship missiles, are the only naval weapons that Iran can rely on operationally.

Iran has expanded the capabilities of the naval branch of the IRGC, acquired additional mine warfare capability, and upgraded some of its older surface ships. Iran's exercises have included a growing number of joint and combined arms exercises with the land forces and air force. Iran has also improved its ports and strengthened its air defences, while obtaining some logistic and technical support from states like India and Pakistan.

As far as major new equipment is concerned, Iran has been building up its naval strength by acquiring three Kilo class submarines from Russia, as well as other equipment, including 10 Houdong fast attack craft from China. Russia, India and Pakistan were reported to be assisting Iran with training and operating its Kilo class submarines. As regards other requirements, in December 1997, Rear Admiral Mohammad Karim Tavakoli, commander of the First Naval Zone, with HQ at the Gulf port of Bandar Abbas, claimed that the Iranian Navy had completed design work on three multirole corvettes and a small submarine, to be built in Iran. In August 2000, Iran announced that it had launched its first domestically produced light submarine or swimmer delivery vehicle, named the Al-Sabiha 15 because of its 15 meters length, in an official ceremony at the Bandar Abbas naval base. In May 2005, Iran navy announced that it had launched its Ghadir class (midget class submarine) and in 8 March 2006 announced that it had launched another submarine named nahang class (Persian: whale).

During 2000 Iranian Naval Aviation significantly improved its capability by taking delivery from Russia of a number of Mi-8 AMT (Mi-171) transport/attack helicopters. Under a contract signed in 1999 Russia agreed to supply 21 Mi-171s to Iran. Delivery was completed in 2001; although the exact number destined for the navy was unknown. In summer 2001 there were indications that Iran would order a further 20 Mi-171s, although as of mid-2004 it was not known if this had occurred.

In November 2002 sources at both Iran's Aerospace Industries Organisation (AIO) and the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (COSIC) confirmed that the two groups were working on common Anti-Ship missile production and development. The effort, which Iranian sources call Project Noor, covers the short-range C-701 and the long-range C-802 weapons developed by COSIC's China National Precision Machinery Import and Export Co subsidiary. The possibility that a formal collaborative project was under way was first raised in 1998, when Iran displayed an Anti-Ship missile design similar to the 15 km range C-701 shortly after the Chinese system was unveiled. An AIO spokesperson confirmed that Project Noor involves the C-701. However, officials in the same company describe the weapon as "a long-range, turbojet-powered, sea-skimming Anti-Ship missile," which better fits the 120 km range C-802, and suggests that the co-operation agreement may cover both weapon systems. In early 2004, Iran announced the release of a new cruise missile programme named Raad (Thunder). The Raad appears to be a modification of the Chinese HY-2 (CSSC-3) Anti-Ship missile, one of a series of missiles China developed from the original Soviet-era P21 (SS-N-2C) design.

History

IS Sabalan at sea.

• Battles during the Iran–Iraq War sank or damaged many ships and smaller craft. The Navy incurred further damage after U.S. forces began escorting Kuwaiti oil tankers during Operation Earnest Will (1987–1988). In September 1987, the minelayer Iran Ajr was captured and scuttled during Operation Prime Chance. On 14 April 1988, Iranian mines nearly sank the U.S.S. Samual B. Roberts (FFG-58); four days later, U.S. forces retaliated by sinking the Iranian warships Joshan and Sahand and several small armed powerboats in Operation Praying Mantis.

• The Iranian Navy attacked and seized control of a Romanian oil rig in the Persian Gulf on August 22, 2006. Iran took control of the radio room at 7 AM local time. "The Iranians fired at the rig's crane with machine guns," Tăbănescu said. "They are in control now and we can't contact the rig." There were 26 workers onboard.[5]

Facilities

In 1977, the bulk of the fleet was shifted from Khorramshahr to the new headquarters at Bandar-e Abbas. Bushehr was the other main base; smaller facilities were located at Khorramshahr, Khark Island, and Bandar-e Khomeini (formerly known as Bandar-e Shahpur). Bandar-e Anzali (formerly known as Bandar-e Pahlavi) was the major training base and home of the small Caspian Sea fleet, which consisted of a few patrol boats and a minesweeper. The naval base at Bandar Beheshti (formerly known as Chah Bahar) on the Gulf of Oman had been under construction since the late 1970s and in late 1987 still was not completed. Smaller facilities were located near the Strait of Hormuz. [6]

• Bandar-e Abbas
• Bandar-e Khomeini
• Bandar-e Anzali
• Noshahr
• Bushehr
• Bandar Beheshti (Chah Bahar)
• Khark
• Khorramshahr
• Larak
• Abu Musa
• Sirri
• Al-Farsiyah
• Halul (an oil platform)

Islamic Republic of Iran Navy Aviation

Iran's naval aviation branch is one of the few air elements in any Persian Gulf Navy, and has both fixed-wing aircraft and armed helicopters.

• Aircraft inventory

Template:Standard table ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Aircraft ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Versions ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In service ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes |----- | Aero Commander || United States || utility transport || 690 || 4 || |----- | Bell 205 || Italy || light-lift utility helicopter || AB 205 || 5 || built by Agusta |----- | Bell 206 || Italy || utility helicopter || AB 206A || 2 || built by Agusta |----- | Bell 212 || Italy || anti-submarine warfare/light-lift || AB 212 ASW || 10 || built by Agusta |----- | Dassault Falcon 20 || France || VIP transport || Falcon 20 || 2 || |-----

| Fokker F27 Friendship || Netherlands || tactical transport || F27-400M

---

F27-600 || 2

---

2 ||

|----- | Mil Mi-17 || Russia || medium-lift transport helicopter || Mi-171Sh || 5 || |----- | Sikorsky S-61 Sea King || United States || anti-submarine warfare/medium-lift || SH-3D || 10 || |----- | Sikorsky H-53 Sea Stallion || United States || minesweeper/heavy-lift || RH-53D || 5 || |}

Navy Ranks Insignia

File:Iran-navy-sleeve 01.gif	File:Iran-navy-sleeve 02.gif	File:Iran-navy-sleeve 03.gif
Sardjuhke Seaman	MahNavi Sevom Seaman	MahNavi Dovom Petty Officer 3rd Class

File:Iran-navy-sleeve 04.gif	File:Iran-navy-sleeve 05.gif	File:Iran-navy-sleeve 06.gif
MahNavi Yekom Petty Officer 1st Class	Navostavar Dovom Chief Petty Officer	Navostavar Yekom Senior Chief Petty Officer

File:Iran-navy-sleeve 07.gif	File:Iran-navy-sleeve 08.gif	File:Iran-navy-sleeve 09.gif	File:Iran-navy-sleeve 10.gif
Navban Sevom Probationery Ensign	Navban Dovvom Ensign	Navban Yekom Lieutenant Junior Grade	Nasarvan Lieutenant

File:Iran-navy-sleeve 11.gif	File:Iran-navy-sleeve 12.gif	File:Iran-navy-sleeve 13.gif
Nakhoda Sevom Lieutenant Commander	Nakhoda Dovvom Commander	Nakhoda Yekom Captain

File:Iran-navy-sleeve 14.gif	File:Iran-navy-sleeve 15.gif	File:Iran-navy-sleeve 16.gif	File:Iran-navy-sleeve 17.gif
Daryadar Dovom Commodore	Daryadar Rear Admiral	Daryaban Vice Admiral	Daryasalar Admiral

See also

• Current Iranian Navy Vessels

External links

• CSIS 2004
• Iranian Military Pictures & videos
• Pre-revolution Imperial Iranian Navy
• Current equipment
• Global Security analysis of Iran's navy
• Iran: Naval anti-surface warfare capability
• Wargames and missile testing - Video Google