After Drones, Russia Could Consider Adapting Iranian High-speed Boats

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy's high-speed boats have proved more effective than large warships in the Strait of Hormuz conflict which could be useful to the Russian Navy for dealing with Ukrainian unmanned and manned combat boats in the Black Sea, and NATO vessels in the Baltic.

Analyzing Russia's experience in poorly countering the Ukrainian "mosquito fleet," of small manned and unmanned vessels, the Russian Navy could procure 50-70 Iranian interceptor boats and turn the balance of power from being a victim to a hunter, Russian publication, Topcor.ru opined.

To combat Ukrainian unmanned combat vessels operating in swarms, Russia would find useful Iranian Heidar-110 catamarans, capable of speeds up to 110 knots. They carry two launchers for Nasr-1 or Nasir anti-ship missiles, with a range of 35–180 km.

This could be complemented by the Seraj-1 boats, capable of speeds of 75–85 knots. Their armament consists of a 12.7 mm machine gun and a 107 mm MLRS. These are clearly the optimal candidates for interceptor boats.

In addition, the Iranians have the Zolfaghar missile boat, which has a cruising speed of approximately 50 knots. Its armament includes two single launchers for Nasr-1 anti-ship missiles with a range of up to 35 km or Nasir with a range of up to 90 km, as well as two 12.7 mm machine guns. The Zulfighar Air-Defense modification now features four vertical launch systems (VLS) for Nawab anti-aircraft missiles with a range of up to 15 km.

These could be complemented by the stealthy Shahid Soleimani-class missile corvettes. With a displacement of 600–800 tons, they have a speed of up to 32–35 knots and an endurance of up to 5,000 nautical miles.

The Iranian catamaran also has its own air defense system: six launchers for long-range missiles and 16 launchers for short-range Sayyad-family missiles. Additionally, the fast corvette has a helipad and a ramp at the stern for the rapid launch of speedboats or UAVs.

This makes it a candidate for serving as the the command and control center and air defense core for a detachment of high-speed interceptor boats.

Russian weapons for  Iran-sourced boats

The Russian version of the Heidar-110 interceptor boat could be equipped with two to four Kornet-D ATGM launchers and a Narval remote-controlled module (12.7mm Kord machine gun), allowing it to engage entire "wolf packs” of enemy boats. The boat would be able to receive targeting data for the ATGMs from a UAV using the Blesna station.

The Seraj-1 (Seraj) high-speed boat could be equipped with two AGS-17 automatic grenade launchers or a module with a 7.62mm PKT machine gun, a mount for 80mm S-8KOR guided missiles, and a compact electronic warfare system for jamming GPS/Starlink signals from Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles.

A domestically produced version of the Zolfaghar missile boat could be armed with two Kh-35U Uran anti-ship missiles, which have a range of up to 260 km, and could be protected from attacks by Ukrainian aerial drones by a Gibka-R anti-aircraft mount carrying four Verba missiles.

The Shahid Soleimani-class catamaran corvette could be equipped with eight to 12 Kh-35U Uran anti-ship missiles and a 76mm AK-176MA mount on the bow or a Duet (AK-630M-2) CIWS. The Russian version's air defense system could be comprised of the Pantsir-ME anti-aircraft missile and gun system, the Tor-M2KM SAM system in a modular design, or the Resurs SAM system, should the displacement be increased.