Strengthening the Iranian Navy: new submarines already in service

The inaugural ceremony of the new unit was held in the port town of Bandar Abbas in Hormozgan Province in the south of the country. According to the Iranian side, Fateh is a 100 percent ship built in Iran and equipped exclusively with national technologies. The unit is capable of operating at a depth of 200 metres below sea level. The second ship of this type was launched in 2015 and is currently undergoing naval trials, and is likely to enter service in 2021.

[related1]

During an interview with journalists at the launch of the ship, Iran's defence minister Amir Hatami stated that the entire design process of the unit was held in Iran and was attended by scientists and engineers from the Marine Industries Organization of Iran, a state-owned subsidiary of the Ministry of Defense of that State.

In addition to these horizontal-fired maneuvering missiles, the ship's weapons also include 533 mm torpedoes and seamines. On board is an advanced sonar capable of identifying enemy units, electric drive and a system capable of firing ground targets with maneuvering missiles. The unit is able to develop a speed of 11 knots in surface and 14 in immersion.

[related2]

Although the new vessel is not even a medium-sized unit – its buoyancy is 527 tonnes in immersion, due to the technical condition of the Iranian fleet it must be concluded that it will actually increase its combat capabilities. Of the major units in service are currently three Kilo-type submarines (project 877) launched in the 1990s and one small (350 tons of buoyancy) Nahang-type Iranian ship. The difficulties in the construction of new ones, especially larger units, have resulted in Western sanctions and a relative global shut-down of Iran.

Signature: km