Iranian Navy - Overview

Overview

Further information: List of current ships of the Iranian Navy and Navy of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution

The Iranian navy was rebuilt after being almost completely destroyed during the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran in World War II. Following World War II, the fleet began replacing destroyed warships with destroyers, frigates and many smaller vessels, including powerboats and hovercraft, many of which originated from the U.S. and UK, which had played a part in destroying much of the original equipment in World War II. In the 1970s, Iran planned to extend its naval reach into the Indian Ocean; but this goal was curtailed by the Islamic Revolution (1979), and the ensuing western-backed first Gulf War (Iran–Iraq War) (1980–1988) which left it hampered in the face of the invasion.

The last Shah of Iran ordered four modern destroyers from the United States, an order that was cancelled after the Shah fell. The ships were instead commissioned in the U.S. Navy as the Kidd class.

In the 1990s, the Navy added patrol boats, submarines, and surface-launched anti-ship missiles, and replaced Western ships with domestically built vessels in addition to ships from China, North Korea, and Russia. During that time, it also engaged in naval exercises with Pakistan and India.

In terms of major surface ships, Iran relies on its Alvand Class Frigates as well as the new Jamaran-Class Frigates which indigenously developed in Iran is a reverse engineered Alvand Class with Modern Electronics and Radar and Armament. Iran's three destroyers are over 50 years old and are kept in material reserve at Bushehr. The Iranian Navy does not include capital ships; their largest ships are five frigates and three corvettes, all of which are armed with modern anti-ship missiles. The main focus of the Iranian Navy seems to be developing new frigates, corvettes and medium to large fast boats capable of carrying modern precision anti-ship missiles. Three of five frigates (Vosper Mark 5), however, were commissioned over 25 years ago and these ships have been updated with Chinese C-802 missiles. Iran's three corvettes were commissioned over 30 years ago; one (the Hamzeh) was originally a government yacht but has now been equipped with Chinese C-802 missiles as well, but it is deployed at Anzali on the Caspian Sea. These eight ships are supported by three Russian SSK Kilo attack submarines and Ghadir and Nahang class mini submarines. The Russian built Kilo submarines are considered among the quietest diesel submarines in the world.