Shahid Mahdavi warship
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps navy announced it has added a new ocean-going warship and tens of missile-launching speed boats to its fleet.
The vessels were part of a major upgrade, bolstering the country's navy fleet in the midst of the worst recession in recent history.
The IRGC held an unveiling ceremony in the port city of Bandar Abbas on Thursday but did not declare how much the project had cost.
The Iranian-made Shahid Mahdavi warship, converted from a commercial vessel, will take center stage in the fleet’s renewal, along with 99 Ashura and Tariq speed boats, which have been upgraded from rocket-launching vessels to missile-launching ones.
The bolstering of the fleet comes amidst growing tensions between Iran and its arch enemy Israel. Iran has been claiming to have deployed more weapons and radars following threats from Israel which says that military force has not been ruled out, while Iran continues expanding its nuclear weaponry.
“The Mahdavi ocean-going vessel is ready to carry out missions with all the necessary equipment and facilities to create stable security in the seas,” said IRGC Navy commander Alireza Tangsiri.
According to Tangsiri, the 2100 ton Shahid Mahdavi, which measures 240 meters in length and 27 meters wide, is equipped with a 3D phased array radar, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, and highly advanced telecommunication systems.
It is capable of carrying helicopters, UAVs, missile launchers, as well as missile defense and radar systems.
He added that the range of missiles on the speed boats is between 10 and 180 kilometers, and according to him, this is the first time that such vessels have been designed with this feature.