Iran to Unveil its Helicopter Carrier Ship in November

Iran will unveil its first Amphibious Transport Dock (ATD) - helicopter carrier ship this November on Navy Day.

The ship will carry up to 7 helicopters, an assortment of drones and electronic warfare equipment among others. It will have a span of 231 meters, Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi said during the course of a TV interview Thursday.

The ship will be larger than China’s Type 071 ATD which measures 210 meters in length and carries up to 4 helicopters.

Khanzadi added that the Dena destroyer, Saba mine-hunter and Zereh missile boat will also be unveiled in November. Dena, a vessel of the Jamaran-class, is currently undergoing its final trial stages and is more advanced than the previous ship of the same class.

Iran is also building its fourth Fateh submarine is being developed with air-independent propulsion (AIP).

IRGC Navy Commander Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri said on Thursday that the force will unveil a 65 meter-long oceangoing vessel capable of carrying helicopters. The Navy is also planning to acquire drone and helicopter-carrying vessels this year.

Martyr Rahbari Naval Base Near Strait of Hormuz

On September 24, IRGC inaugurated Martyr Rahbari naval base at Sirik, a coastal town east of the strategic Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf. Construction of the base started six years ago.

Iran’s PressTV reported that the base has been built in an area of 31 hectares with the aim of giving the country full control over the arrival and departure of ultra-regional vessels in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and the Sea of Oman.

“With the opening and unveiling of this base, the country’s combat operations, ship operations, reconnaissance as well as defensive and offensive operations in the Persian Gulf will further develop,” IRGC Chief Commander Major General Hossein Salami commented.

Iranian Navy’s New Combat Drones, Helicopters

On Wednesday, the Iranian Navy received 188 indigenous combat drones and helicopters. “The drones can be used for aerial photography in combat zone to help with the acquisition of moving and stationary targets at sea. They are capable of monitoring all maritime movements,” Tangsiri remarked.

Tangsiri said three of the drones, namely vertically-launched Sepeher, Shahab-2 and Hodhod-4, have been unveiled for the first time, the report said. The sea-launched drones can be used for reconnaissance missions.

Another drone, Mohajer, has a flight range of over 200km and is capable of carrying 4 missiles, the commander noted.

Of the helicopters types that were unveiled by the IRGC, 2 can land on water, while 4 others have combat capabilities and can carry missiles.