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Iran launches most advanced indigenous

2 Dec 2018 - 9:25

Iran has launched its most advanced military vessel which has radar-evading stealth properties and can sustain voyages lasting five months without resupply.



The Sahand destroyer, inducted into the navy in the Persian Gulf Saturday, "is the result of daring and creative design relying on the local technical knowledge" of the Iranian experts, said Rear-Admiral Alireza Sheikhi. 

The vessel has a flight deck for helicopters, torpedo launchers, anti-aircraft and anti-ship guns, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles and electronic warfare capabilities. 

The Sahand is the third of Mowj-class frigates built by Iran after the Jamaran and the Damavand, but its enhanced operational capabilities and size make it twice stronger in terms of offensive and defensive features.

According to deputy navy commander Rear-Admiral Touraj Hassani Moqaddam, the new destroyer is fitted with the domestically-built Kamand close-in weapon system which can fire anywhere from 4,000 to 7,000 shells per second.

The Sahand, he said, will set off for South America with two other warships and special helicopters in the near future as part of Iran's dispatch of ships to international waters.

Iran launched its first locally-made destroyer in 2010 as part of a program to revamp its navy equipment in the face of sanctions which have barred the country from importing many weapons.

Since 1992, the country has manufactured its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles, radars, boats, submarines, unmanned aerial vehicles, and fighter planes.
On Thursday, Iran’s navy acquired two new mini submarines designed for operations in shallow waters such as the Persian Gulf.

Military officials said the subs have sonar-evading technology and can launch missiles from under water, as well as fire torpedoes and drop marine mines.

In August, Iran unveiled its first domestically designed and manufactured fighter jet named Kowsar during a defense show in Tehran. 

The fourth-generation Iranian fighter jet is equipped with “advanced avionics and fire control systems” and can be used for short aerial support missions.

Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami said at the Kish Air Show’s opening ceremony that Iran was steaming ahead and making advancements in all fields despite harsh economic sanctions by the US.

US President Donald Trump pulled out of an international agreement on Iran's nuclear program in May and reimposed sanctions on Tehran. 

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Wednesday told top navy commanders that the Iranian armed forces had to develop their capabilities to deter any potential aggressor.

Ayatollah Khamenei hailed the navy’s achievements, including its launch of the Sahand destroyer and Fateh and Qadir submarines, saying it showed Iran is capable of developing world-class modern technologies.     

The Leader said Iran does not seek a war with any other country, but it needs to expand its defense capabilities.

On Saturday, Iran's Army chief Major General Mousavi said the synergy between the Army and Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has entered “a new phase”.

Mousavi said Iran's navy industry depended on foreign support before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, but the force's advancements after the revolution are a source of national pride.   
The advancements, the general said, have enabled Iran to guarantee security in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Sea of Oman. 

/SR


Story Code: 382199

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