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Further Reading

Navy Modernization

Initially entirely of foreign origin, Iran's naval fleet suffered major losses since the beginning of the war with Iraq, when it was made up of American- and British-made destroyers and frigates, and some sixty smaller vessels and one of the largest Hovercraft fleets in the world. The Hovercraft had been expressly chosen to operate in the shallow waters of the Persian Gulf and proved useful in the 1971 occupation of Abu Musa and the Tunbs. After the cancellation of foreign orders in 1979, the rapid matériel advance of the navy was halted. For example, the Shah's government had ordered six Spruance-class destroyers equipped for antiaircraft operations and three diesel-powered Tang-class submarines from the United States. Washington canceled the sale of these vessels, selling the submarines to Turkey and absorbing the destroyers into the United States Navy. In 1979 Khomeini also canceled an order for six Type-209 submarines from West Germany.

What naval vessels remained in 1987 suffered from two major problems, mainly from a lack of maintenance and lack of spare parts. After the departure of British-United States maintenance teams, the Iranian navy conducted only limited repairs, despite the availability of a completed Fleet Maintenance Unit at Bandar-e Abbas. Consequently, several ships were laid up. Lack of spare parts also plagued the navy more than other services, because Western naval equipment was less widely available on world arms markets than other equipment.

The Iranian Navy was putting in place a multi-layered framework comprised of conventional and asymmetrical subsurface, surface, and airborne systems which can impact open access to Arabian Gulf shipping lanes.

Iran's ambitious plans for escort and patrol capabilities in the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean were not necessarily expected to be realized until the Bandar Beheshti naval facility was completed. The country's interest in navigation through the Strait of Hormuz had not diminished, as the contemplated deployment of Chinese-made Silkworm HY-2 surface-to-surface missiles on Larak Island in 1987 clearly indicated. This development underscored Iran's interest in Gulf waters and the navy's role, along with that of Pasdaran units, in protecting them or in denying them to others.

In 1992, Iran and China negotiated a deal for Iran to receive a fleet of 70-ton Chinese patrol boats with Styx anti-ship missiles. In 1993, Iran bought two Russian Kilo-class submarines and eight mini-submarines from North Korea. All done in an effort to rebuild after the Navy was nearly destroyed after the Islamic Revolution, Iran continued to purchase foreign weapons systems.

Iranian officials announced in September 2000 that the first of a planned trio of "1,000-ton," missile-equipped "destroyers" would be launched shortly, but there has been no subsequent announcement of the event. The locally designed vessels are said to be 289 feet long, and their machinery, electronics, and weapon systems, along with much other equipment, would have to have been imported. 2000 also saw the deployment of the Al-Sabehat 15 Swimmer Delivery Vehicle, Iran's first domestically produced submarine.

As of 2001 the regular Iranian navy was in a state of overall obsolescence, and in poor shape because there had been no move to re-equip with modern ships and weapons. Iran's three destroyers were over 50 years old at the time and were not operational. The readiness of the three 25-year-old frigates was almost non-existent, and the two 30-year-old corvettes did not have sophisticated weapons. Ten of 20 missile-equipped fast attack craft had limited operational readiness, and four of them were not seaworthy as of 2001. Only 10 Chinese-made Thondar-class (Houdong) craft were operationally reliable. The four 30-year-old minesweepers were obsolete, lack seaworthiness, and did not have a mine-sweeping capability. Iran had many amphibious and auxiliary ships, but these were superfluous to requirements and were used purely for training personnel. Iran's ten hovercraft were old and used sparingly.

In mid-2001 Iran launched the first of a new type of locally built craft equipped with "rocket launchers," according to Tehran Radio, which noted that the ship had been delivered to the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) by the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics. The same ceremony, presided over by Defense Minister Rear Adm. Ali Shamkhani, saw the launch of two Barak-class oilers, of 1,000 tons capacity, and one Karbala-class tank landing ship (LST). All were designed and built by the Defense Ministry's naval industry department. The landing ship was one of three Hormuz 21-type LSTs, and could have been the one launched at Boushehr in 1997. It is not clear from published sources what type of oilers were launched, the same being true of the missile craft. The new craft could have been one of the reported trio of 1,200-ton corvettes under construction at Bandar Abbas.

In July 2002 a conventional-arms sale triggered sanctions on several Chinese companies. Beijing had transferred high-speed catamaran missile patrol boats to Iran. The C-14 patrol boats are outfitted with anti-ship cruise missiles. Short-range anti-ship missiles for the patrol boats also were sold from China to Iran in January 2002. The catamaran and anti-ship missile sales were first disclosed by The Washington Times in May 2002, shortly after the first of the new C-14 patrol boats was observed by US military intelligence at an Iranian port. The high-speed gunboat can carry up to eight C-701 anti-ship cruise missiles, and usually have one gun. There have also been reports of Iran possessing another type of anti-ship system. Up to 16 Sunburst anti-ship missile systems were traded in the early 1990's from the Ukraine.

Fifteen semi-submersible gunboats used in special operations were sent to Iran from North Korea, "The Washington Times" reported on 16 December 2002. The boats were shipped aboard an Iranian freighter. US intelligence officials expressed concern that Iran could use the gunboats to threaten US ships in the region. In an indication of Iran's willingness to use the means at its disposal, Multinational Interdiction Force deputy coordinator Commander Nick Chatwin of the British Navy in a 16 December Reuters report displayed a photograph of an oil tanker with a hole in it that was created by a rocket-propelled grenade launched from an Iranian naval vessel.

In January 2003 a report in the World Tech Tribune indicated that the Iranian Navy would launch a missile frigate in March 2003. The frigate was identified as Sina 1. The report also indicated that Iranian officials stated that a destroyer would also be introduced over time. The destroyer, the Mowj, was being constructed and was expected to be completed sometime after the launch of Sina 1.

Between 2003 and 2005 authorities in the Iranian Navy continued to talk about their pushes for greater self-sufficiency, including the continued development of domestically produced missile boats and frigates, as well as new details about submarine projects. In 2006 and 2007 the Iranian Navy accepted new missile boats and a frigate, as well as two types of submarines. The Sina class missile boats, introduced in 2006, were essentially Iranian copies of Kaman missile boats already in service. Also in 2006 the Iranians deployed the first of the Nahang class of midget submarines, described as the first Iranian submarine designed and produced without foreign assistance. In 2007 the Iranian Navy accepted the first of 3 planned Mowj-class frigates, again essentially copies of a ship already in Iranian inventory, the Alvand class. Also in 2007 deployed the Qadir midget submarine, sometimes referred to as the first of the Yono class. This submarine was described as being a completely Iranian development, but observers noted that it was almost visually identical to North Korean Yugo class submarines.

As of 2008 the Iranian Navy appeared poised to expand is fleet, most centered around stand-off anti-ship missile systems, mining operations, and a wide range of smaller patrol and special operations craft. Iranian authorities have described the current mission as deterrence against aggression in their coastal waters and in prominent regional waterways.

With the exception of naval forces, Iran's military modernization has been largely stagnant. In reaction to OIF, Iran publicly announced implementation of an asymmetric strategy emphasizing lightly armed but numerous guerrilla forces. The only addition to Iran's air and air defense inventory is a new IRGC Air Force squadron of Su-25 close air support aircraft.