Iranian Navy To Get New Missile-launching Ships, Submarine

Iran is building fourth missile-launching Peykan-class warship for the naval forces in Caspian Sea, local media reported Tuesday.

Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari was quoted as saying by FARS news Tuesday that the new Peykan-class warship is being built by Bandar Anzali's Shahid Tamjidi naval industries and it will join the fleet soon.

Peykan-class is an Iranian-made Kaman/Sina class missile boat that is equipped with 2 or 4 C802 SSM anti-ship missiles, 1 Fajr-27 76 mm dual-purpose gun and 1 40 mm anti-aircraft gun.

Sayyari also revealed country’s plan to equip its navy with another missile-launching warship and a submarine.

Admiral Sayyari said that missile-launching warship named Separ and the submarine, Fateh, will join the Navy in the near future.

Fateh is third native-built submarine design, at approximately 130 feet long and 20 feet wide and 500 tons displacement.

"The Iranian Navy will also be equipped with new units and equipment, including missile-launching warships, destroyers and surface and subsurface units, in the current year and next year," Sayyari said.

Admiral Sayyari further added that a new missile-launching warship is for the country's naval fleet in the Caspian Sea.

In recent years, Iran’s naval forces have increased their presence in high seas to secure naval routes and protect merchant vessels and oil tankers against pirates. The navy has been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008, when Somali raiders hijacked the Iranian-chartered cargo ship, MV Delight, off the coast of Yemen.