Aug 02, 2021 11:54 UTC
  • Fleet of Ghadir-class submarines testament to Iran’s growing naval combat power

Iran has taken giant strides to achieve self-sufficiency in producing sophisticated military equipment, including the world’s best submarines, despite decades-long sanctions and an arms embargo.

According to Press TV, the country’s military has phenomenally bolstered its naval combat power by building a large number of ‘Ghadir’ midget submarines and demonstrating its rapid progress in indigenous submarine technology.

Ghadir-class submarines, which officially joined Iran’s Navy fleet in November 2018, are capable of launching subsurface-to-surface missiles, torpedoes and mines at enemy targets.

Unlike surface vessels, submarines are hard to track, which give them strategic advantage. They are also more difficult to manufacture and repair than surface ships, but Iran has shown that it can.

This capability to produce, reverse engineering and obtain small and large submarines is testament to Iran’s rapidly expanding military industrial base, which has successfully neutralized the impact of sanctions.

According to leading military experts, Iran’s domestically-produced submarines today possess the same technological prowess as those produced in the West and purchased by major Persian Gulf countries.

First-of-its-kind submarines

Ghadir is the first-of-its-kind class of midget submarines built by the Islamic Republic of Iran and designed specifically to cruise within the shallow waters of the Persian Gulf.

Iran has the distinction of being the only country in the region to excel in this feat by acquiring a large fleet of Ghadir-class submarines that are capable of firing torpedoes from two tubes, release minesweepers, launch missiles, and transport commandos.

In recent years, Iran has added exceptional capabilities to its fleet of Ghadir submarines, and newer models have been subsequently equipped with more advanced technology.

This class of submarine is now equipped with advanced reconnaissance system and the ability to fire anti-ship cruise missiles, which give it an extra edge.

The midget Ghadir-class submarine is 29 meters long, 2 meters and 75 centimeters wide, weighs 115 to 150 tons, has a maximum surface speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph), and a range of 1000 kilometers. Its crew totals 7 officers.

ME

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