Commander: Navy Self-Sufficient in Production of Naval Tools, Equipments

The Iranian Navy is fully capable of producing all its needed military tools and equipments, including vessels and submarines, despite sanctions, a senior Navy commander said on Tuesday.

“We have reached 100% self-sufficiency in the mass-production of (naval) equipments and this self-sufficiency has been achieved despite the sanctions imposed against Iran,” Army’s Chief Commander in Iran’s Northern province of Gilan Khordad Hakimi told FNA on the occasion of the National Day of Navy.

“Today, we are mass producing destroyers, missile-launching frigates, heavy and semi-heavy submarines,” Hakimi added.

The Iranian Navy plans to unveil and put into operation new vessels tomorrow.

Speaking to reporters here in Tehran on Monday, Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said that the home-made Sina-7 missile-launching warship will be unveiled on Wednesday on the occasion of the National Day of Navy.

Sayyari announced that the Navy will start the second phase of the construction of Sahand destroyer in Bandar Abbas, the main structure of which was launched in September.

“On Wednesday, two Qadir-class submarines as well as advanced simulators for training Qadir submarine crews will be unveiled and put into operation,” Sayyari added.

The commander further said that two hovercrafts, the BH7 hovercraft overhauled by local experts and the home-made SRNX hovercraft, dubbed as Tondar (Thunderbolt), will join the Navy on Wednesday.

Earlier this month, Iran unveiled a highly advanced Tondar hovercraft which can launch missiles and serve as launch pad for drones.

Tondar can be equipped with different types of weapons produced by the Iranian defense industries, including rockets, guns and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).

Iran’s naval power has even been acknowledged by foes. In a Sep. 11, 2008 report, the Washington Institute for the Near East Policy also said that in the two decades since the Iraqi imposed war on Iran, the Islamic Republic has excelled in naval capabilities and is able to wage unique asymmetric warfare against larger naval forces.

According to the report, Iran’s Navy has been transformed into a highly motivated, well-equipped, and well-financed force and is effectively in control of the world’s oil lifeline, the Strait of Hormuz.

The study says that if Washington takes military action against the Islamic Republic, the scale of Iran’s response would likely be proportional to the scale of the damage inflicted on Iranian assets.