Cordesman/Wilner, Iran & The Gulf Military Balance Rev 3
AHC 2/29/12
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although some aspects of their electronic warfare capabilities, communications, and battle management system do seem to have been upgraded. The Bayandor and the Naghdi are probably the most active large surface ships in the Iranian Navy. However, neither is equipped with antiship and anti-air missiles, sophisticated weapons systems, sonars, or advanced electronic warfare equipment and sensors.18 Iran also has three somewhat more modern operational Alvand- (Vosper Mark 5) class frigates: the Alvand, the Alborz, and the Sabalan. They were launched during 1967-1968 and commissioned during 1968-1969. Two have been upgraded to carry four Chinese C-802 antiship missiles each on twin launchers. The C-802 is a sea-skimming missile with a range of 120 kilometers, a 165-kilogram warhead, and a maximum speed of Mach 0.9. Reports state that in 2003 Iran announced that it would launch a 1,400 destroyer named Mouj and a 350-ton missile frigate named Sina the same year. So far Iran has not been known as having either vessel in service.19 Iran’s three Type 877EKM Kilo-class submarines and other submarines have offset some of the weaknesses of its major surface forces. The Kilo is a relatively modern and quiet submarine that first became operational in 1980. Each Kilo has six 530-mm torpedo tubes, including two wireguided torpedo tubes. Only one torpedo can be wire guided at a time. The Kilo can carry a mix of 18 homing and wire-guided torpedoes or 24 mines. Russian torpedoes have guidance systems include active sonar homing, passive homing, wire guidance, and active homing. Some reports indicate that Iran bought over 1,000 modern Soviet mines along with the Kilos and that the mines were equipped with modern magnetic, acoustic, and pressure sensors. In 2005, Iran announced that it was developing a new class of submarines called Ghadir.20 In addition, Iran reportedly started producing mini-submarines in 2000. One of these vessels allegedly is called Al-Sabehat 15; it can accommodate two crew and three divers, and its mission supposedly is to plant mines and carry out reconnaissance missions.21 Iran’s ability to use its submarines to deliver mines and fire long-range wake-homing torpedoes gives it a potential capability to strike in ways that make it difficult to detect or attack the submarine. Mines can be laid covertly in critical areas before a conflict, and the mines can be set to activate and deactivate at predetermined intervals in ways that make mining difficult to detect and sweep. Long-range homing torpedoes can be used against tanker-sized targets at ranges in excess of 10 kilometers and to attack slow-moving combat ships that are not on alert and/or that lack sonars and countermeasures. Many areas of the Gulf do not favor submarine operations. The Gulf is about 241,000 square kilometers in area and stretches 990 kilometers from the Shatt al-Arab to the Straits of Hormuz. It is about 340 kilometers wide at its maximum width and about 225 kilometers wide for most of its length. While heat patterns disturb surface sonars, they also disturb submarine sonars, and the
18
Jane’s Fighting Ships, 2005-2006, London, Jane’s Information Group, pp. 336-343.
19
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iran/navy.htm
20
Ali Akbar Dareini, “Iran tests submarine-to-surface missile”, Washington Post, August 27, 2006.
21
BBC News, Iran launches its first submarine, August 29, 2000.
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