Besat / Qaaem, Qaem, or Ghaaem Submarine

In an interview 03 April 2020 with Mehr news, Head of Iranian Defense Ministry's Marine Industries Organization Rear Admiral Amir Rastegari informed that giant submarines will become a major part of the Iranian Navy’s flotilla in the near future. H I Sutton wrote that " Logically the new boats will be larger follow-ons, possibly in the range of 2,000 to 3,000 tons. This is similar to the three Russian-built Kilo class submarines already in Iranian service." Iran announced that it had begun the construction of a submarine "Be'atat" (the previous name of Qa'im) with a displacement weight of nearly 1,200 tons and that by 2015 two of these submarines will be operational. The project seemed to have remained silent since then.

By some accounts Iran has so far launched several different classes of advanced submarines including Fateh, Ghadir, Qaem and Nahang. Besat class submarines, possibly also known as Qaaem, Qaem, or Ghaaem is an Iranian designed class of submarines that have been "currently" under construction since 2008 or 2011, but had yet to enter service as of June 2019. Wikipedia reports, without foundation, pennant number 976 for Besat, which it claims entered service in 2013.

Possibly this project is vaporware, or has acquired new nomenclature. Or possibly the project has either been abandoned or is beset by major delays, such as emerged with the predecessor first indigenously developed semi-heavy submarine Fateh (Conqueror). The Iranian defense minister announced 10 December 2013 that the construction and testing of the Fateh had been completed, but the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy (IRIN) officially commissioned its Fateh-class semi-heavy submarine on 17 February 2019.

In an interview with Radio Farda on the history of Iran's submarines, military analyst Hossein Aryan said in an interview with Iran that he was trying to build a submarine after receiving three sub-class Kilo (Tariq, Noah and Younes) from Russia between 1992 and 1997. In this regard, small submarines of the "Ghadir" class, with a displacement weight of nearly 120 tons, were built first. Up to now, more than 20 of these submarines have joined the Navy and the Army. He added that the next Iranian military effort in 2006 was to build a submersible with a displacement weight of about 400 tons, called the Whale. One such submarine was built, but no news of its annexation to the Navy was published.

The Qa'im / Qayyim submarine production line was opened 25 August 2008 at the Ministry of Defense's Marine Organization in the presence of Sardar Brigadier General Mustafa Mohammad Najjar, the Minister of Defense and Armed Forces Support. According to the Mehr News Agency, the Ghaem submarine in the semi-heavy class has the ability to transport and throw torpedoes, submarine missiles and the displacement of special operations forces. Sardar Brigadier General Mostafa Mohammad Najjar emphasized the necessity of a strong presence in defense of the country's water and emphasized the need for a strong presence in the submarine line of Qa'im, emphasizing the Ministry of Defense strategy.

Mohammad Mostafa Najjar, Defense Minister of Iran, on the occasion of the government week, announced the launch of a "semi-heavy" submarine production line called "Ghaem", without specifying the following marine features, such as the history and model of the construction, the submarine class mentioned The type of engine, the propulsion power, its performance compared to similar floats produced by advanced countries or even the number of production units of this type.

Recourse to the propaganda method in the introduction of a new weapon in Iran takes place when full access to all technical information around it is possible through the use of non-confidential sources. The launch of the production line for this submarine was announced in the form of a launch of a new and important production line in Iran's military industry, while the production of the flotilla began five years ago, and previously three submarines The so-called "Ghadir" was prepared and flooded in the military engineering workshops using the capacity of the private sector metal processing enterprises and the installation of imported equipment (including electric motors, computer and computer systems and underwater navigation).

In simple words, Iran is not an industrial country, while the quality of its military production is far from the qualitative value of civilian products. Although the evaluation of the effectiveness of military equipment is only possible during the actual warfare, it is somewhat foreseeable to study the potential capabilities of a weapon with the knowledge of its coordinates.

In August 2010, Iran's army chief Ataollah Salehi announced the inauguration of a new "semi-heavy" submarine, named Qaem, capable of operating in the high seas, such as the Indian Ocean or the Gulf of Aden. The existence of the 600 ton Fateh-class (Conqueror) program was announced in September 2011, and Janes speculated that this may be a new name for the Qaem project announced in 2008. Iran has so far launched different classes of domestically-built advanced submarines including Ghadir, Qaem, Nahang, Tareq and Sina. The February 2019 launch of the first Fateh was accompanied by the standard litany that Iran had so far launched different classes of domestically-built advanced submarines including Ghadir, Qaem, Nahang, Tareq and Sina, suggesting that Qaem and Fateh are different projects. Qaem and Besat are not mentioned together in such litanies, just as Superman and Clark Kent were never seen together.

"..... the design and construction of the submarine "Besat" was put on the agenda to provide a gateway for Iran to enter the design and construction of heavy submarine... Iran's entry gateway to the construction of submarines capable of firing missiles is the Be'sat submarine with a weight of more than 1,300 tons will fill the gap between the Iranian submarines (Fateh class) with heavy 2300-tonne submarines (class Tariq). The submarine, which seems to have a speed of about 12 knot at the surface and 20 knots below the surface, will in the future complement the Islamic Republic of Iran submarine power chain in territorial waters and international waters. According to the Fars, the Besat submarine with a length of about 60 meters and a depth of 300 meters, will have six torpedo launcher and can carry mines, in addition to firing torpedoes, the launch of sea cruise missiles... "

Fars reported in February 2015 that Admiral II, Amir Farhad Amiri, deputy commander of the self-sufficiency jihad of the entire army, said: "Always in the prototype design, conceptual design, engineering and engineering design, as well as the purchase of sample parts, and resources must be known. Therefore, making prototypes takes longer time". Amiri emphasized: For example, the construction of the demolition of Jamaran lasted 12 years, but the second destroyer, Damavand, will be unveiled this year, so we should let the time go ahead and complete the design and complete components and resources, because the first example is the basis for constructing next examples".

The military self-sufficiency jihad said: "As far as we look at making prototypes, naturally, the next examples will be more complete and more reliable. That's why there is no specific time for announcing the end of the submarine production, and we should allow our research to do its normal and normal work to build later ones." In the initial design, the Be'sat submarine with a length of about 60 meters and a depth of 300 meters, will have six torpedo launcher and can carry mines, in addition to firing torpedoes, also launches marine cruise missiles; missiles that the Islamic Republic Iran has been designing and manufacturing several models - including "light" with a range of 120 kilometers and capable of a range of 200 kilometers - with a large number of them.

The submarine, which seems to have a speed of about 12 knots at a level of 20 knots below the surface, will in the future be complementary to the Islamic Republic of Iran under-sea power chain in territorial waters and international waters.

Almost nothing is "known" of this submarine, and even the name "Besat" require explanation. There are different conceptions of the concept of Be'sat, whether the first revelation of the Qur'an and divine verses equated with descent, or the first official announcement. The word "Be'sat" derives from the root "b s e" means incite, write or go out. This happened at the age of 40 when the Prophet (pbuh) was in the cave of Hara, located in Mount Nim (near the city of Mecca ), and was the beginning of Islam. According to the well-known Shia Imamite, this event took place on the day of Rajab 27. In Shiite culture, the day of Mobat (27 Rajab), will be great, and celebrations will be held on this occasion. Sunni people know the ma?a?a during the month of Ramadan, but since the exact date is unknown, there is no specific ritual among them for this occasion.

The Office of Naval Intelligence report "Iranian Naval Forces - A Tale of Two Navies" published in February 2017 treats the Besat class seriously, and claims it will enter service with the Iranian Navy with the capability of firing submarine-launched cruise missiles in the next five years, that is, by 2022. "Iran is also building a 1300 ton attack submarine known as Besat. According to Iranian press reports, the Besat will be approximately 60 meters in length, capable of diving to 300 meters, and able to sustain 12 knots surfaced and 20 knots submerged. In terms of armament, the Besat will likely have six torpedo tubes, capable of employing torpedoes and mines, as well as submarine-launched ASCMs. "

The 60 meter length is consistently reported in association with this project, with a reported displacement of from 1,000 to 1,300 tons. The Sinpo class submarine is a new class of submarine produced in North Korea. One submarine has been observed in service. It is the largest submarine designed and built for the Korean People's Navy, with a length estimated at 64-67 meters [210-220] and a submerged displacement estimated at 2,000 tons. Given the extent of prior cooperation between Iran and the DPRK on missile and nuclear programs, it would stand to reason that their collaboration has extended to submarines as well.

It should also be acknowledged that North Korea's Sang-O submarines are close to Iran's Ghadir model. In 2007, North Korea provided four of its very small Yugoslav submarines to Iran. These boats were small, only 90 tons displacement weight and 21 meters (65 feet) long. But Iran accepted them, and by studying them, Iran learned a lot about how to design and build submarines.

In fact, Ghadir was the gateway to Iran's design and construction of light submarines and "Fateh", was also the first step in the construction of submarines with a displacement of of 600 tons. But given the fact that the basics and tactics of submarine construction are largely identical, it was possible to design the underwater hulls to increase the potential for protection of the territorial waters of the Islamic Republic of Iran. In this regard, the design and construction of the submarine "Besat" was put on the agenda to provide a gateway for Iran to enter the design and construction of heavy submarine.

Published photgraphs of the Sinpo submarine, and the model said to the the Besat, are generally similar in appearance, but all babies look alike. The Beasat model has a much larger sail than the Sinpo, and the sail is further forward. The two boats may not be identical twins, but surely they are kissing cousins.

The class is variously reported as having a displacement of 1,000 or 1,200 tons, and is described as both "semi-heavy" and "heavy". Iranian officials regularly announce alleged breakthroughs in their own domestic armament industry. In 2012 and 2013, for example, they announced new drones, aircraft, antiaircraft missiles, and submarines, and even promised to build an aircraft carrier. Except for the aircraft carrier and perhaps the fighter jet, there is usually some kernel of truth to the Iranian claims, although they are seldom as advanced as Iranian officials might claim.

Iran's armed forces "have been the protector of the security of the strategic Strait of Hormuz and regards the security of this waterway as vital for itself and the countries of the region," Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said 25 August 2008. Najjar, whose remarks were carried by Iran's ISNA news agency, was speaking at the inauguration of a submarine production line. The agency said it was for a "semi-heavy" class of submarine called Qaim but did not give details.

Mansour Maqsoudlou of the Navy said 20 September 2011 Iran was "currently" designing multi-purpose submarines. Fateh submarine of medium class and Besat of heavy class are currently under construction in the country, Maqsoudlou added.

Iran will release two new submarines of own production, Deputy of Iran's Army commander on research issues Farkhad Amiri said, Fars reported 18 January 2012. Amiri added that after the Fateh submarine is released, Iran plans to start making a 1,200 ton Besat submarine. He said that the new Besat submarine will be made using new technology. Iran will equip four submarines (Fateh, Gadir, Tariq and a 1,200 ton Besat submarine) with underwater to surface missile launching systems for land targeting, Amiri said.

Amiri added that another addition that Iranian own made submarines will have fuel-cells. Fuel-cells are electro-chemical energy converters. The advantage of a fuel-cell system aboard submarines is their air independent operation. They use an energy carrier (e.g. hydrogen or methanol) and an oxidation agent (liquid oxygen/ LOx), all of which are stored on board. In the fuel cells hydrogen and oxygen are combined to water, thus giving off electricity (DC). Thanks to a very high efficiency, the amount of waste heat is very low. The electric energy produced is then fed to the submarine's main switchboard. The amount of stored reactants combined with the excellent efficiency of the energy converting fuel cells provide the submarine with a zero-emission, pollution free alternative power source.

Iran is building a new submarine, called Be'sat, which will be capable of firing cruise missiles and laying underwater mines, the country's Fars News Agency reported 26 February 2015. The submarine will be 60 meters long and have a displacement of over 1,300 tons. It will have six bays for torpedoes and marine cruise missiles.

"The Navy's new subsurface vessel will be ready and launched soon to enhance the Army's power," Iranian Army Commander Major General Ataollah Salehi told reporters in December 2014. The Be'sat, will be Iran's biggest domestically made submarine. The Iranian Navy also operates three Russian Kilo-class submarines with a displacement of 2,325 tons and six torpedo tubes but no cruise missile capacity.