Iran

Commander: IRGC’s Sonar-Evading Submarines Enjoying Unique Capabilities


Two Iranian military commanders disclosed that the country’s home-made sonar-evading submarines enjoy unusual features.

“Besides the usual capabilities of the submarines that all people are aware of, our vessels enjoy some subsurface capabilities that are different from the regular features of submarines and no one is informed of them,” Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi told FNA on Sunday.

Also, Deputy Defense Minister for Industrial and Research Mohammad Eslami, whose ministry is in charge of supplying logistical backups including equipments for the Armed Forces, told FNA that “the submarines supplied to the IRGC are of the mid-sized class, given the missions defined for the IRGC Navy”.

He said all Iranian submarines are sonar and radar-evading, “since we cannot fulfill our missions today if our submarines are not equipped with sonar and radar evading technologies”.

Earlier this month, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi announced that the country plans to equip the IRGC naval force with new submarines.

“Production of different types of submarines are on our agenda and naturally they will be delivered to the IRGC whenever they reach their final phase,” Vahidi told FNA at the time, adding that the ministry plans to equip the IRGC Navy with its new home-made submarines.

As regards the features and specifications of the new submarines, Vahidi said, “These submarines will be in models other than Qadir (light submarines) and their production and delivery to the IRGC are underway.”

He said that Iran is producing military tools based on its doctrine of asymmetric defense.

Last month, Iran boosted its naval power in Persian Gulf waters after a new missile launching vessel and two light submarines joined its Navy fleet.

During the ceremony attended by Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, two Qadir-class light submarines also joined the Iranian naval fleet.

All parts of the Qadir-class submarines, including the hull, radar equipment and advanced defense systems, have been made domestically.

The submarines are appropriate vessels for different naval missions, including reconnaissance and combat in territorial waters, specially in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz which are not wide enough for the maneuvering of large warships and submarines.

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