.jpg) Thelead ship,Shahid Soleimani, in 2022 | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders | Shahid Mahallati Shipyard,Bushehr |
| Operators | IRGC-Navy |
| Built | 2022–present |
| In commission | 2022–present |
| Planned | +4 |
| Completed | 4 |
| Active | 4 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Missile corvette |
| Displacement | ~600 tonnes |
| Length | 65.0 m (213 ft 3 in) |
| Beam | 14.5 m (47 ft 7 in) |
| Installed power | Diesel engine |
| Propulsion | 4 × engines |
| Speed | 32 knots (59 km/h) |
| Range | 5,000 nmi (9,300 km) |
| Sensors & processing systems | Radars and latest electronics |
| Electronic warfare & decoys |
|
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | 1 × helicopter |
| Notes | Ability to carry 3 ×fast attack boats |
TheShahid Soleimani class (Persian: شهید سلیمانی, romanized: Shahid soleimani, lit: martyrSuleimani) are the principal surface combatant ship ofIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy ofIran. These are an Iranian class ofmissile corvettes and bear the name ofQasem Soleimani, a prominent Iranian military officer, who was the commander ofIslamic Revolutionary Guard CorpsQuds Force from 1998, until he wasassassinated on 3 January 2020 by the United States inBaghdad,Iraq alongsideAbu Mahdi al-Muhandis. These ships were being built by various shipyards inBushehr,Qeshm andBandar Abbas and are operated by theIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy ofIran.
These ships are known for their uniquecatamaran (twin hull) design with sharp angles to give it a morestealthy design. The design has been compared to the ChineseType 22 missile boat and the TaiwaneseTuo Chiang class. According to Iranian officials, thesewarship's have hulls that are made ofaluminum instead of the regularsteel which decreases their weight. The use of aluminum is an innovation in the Iranian shipbuilding industry, adopted in the past few years.[1]
These warships are equipped with sixanti-ship cruise missiles including four long-range ones (likelyNoor orGhadir) and two short-range anti-ship missiles (likelyNasir) in an order of two long-range and one short-range box launchers on each side behind thesuperstructure. These warships are the first Iranian warship to be equipped with avertical launching system (VLS). The VLS armament component includes six bigger cells forsurface-to-surface cruise missiles and 16 smaller ones forsurface-to-air missiles, all of which are located behind thecommand bridge.
The lead warship,Shahid Soleimani, is equipped with six 23 mmgatling guns (likelyAsef), one 30 mmauto-canon and twochaff dispensers. These are also incorporated in other warships of the class.[1][2] According to CommodoreAlireza Tangsiri,Shahid Soleimani-class vessels have been equipped with different types of missiles with varied ranges of 200, 300 and 750 kilometers respectively, as well as with a new 2,000-kilometer-range cruise missile named Ghadr-474, to boost theirfirepower.[3] Tangsiri later said thatSayyad Shirazi andHassan Baqeri, the other two warships of the class currently in service have been equipped with 16 Navvab vertically-launched missiles and 6 Sayyad-3 missiles.[4]
Intelligence and reconnaissance monitoring, surface and subsurface and air traffic monitoring are among the duties of these vessels and are equipped with Iran's most advancedelectronic warfare systems.[1] The main fire-control radars of the built ships are yet to be installed.
TheShahid Soleimani class of warship[5][6] are all powered by four indigenously developeddiesel engines which gives a top speed of 32knots (59 km/h; 37 mph) and a range of 5,000nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi).[1]
The warship also has aviation facilities, a helipad, and a crane under it which is used to launch and retrievefast attack boats. The ships can carry three fast attack boats and have the ability to retrieve and rearm them.[1]
After the end of construction at the Shahid Mahallati Shipyard[2] on 14 June 2022, thelead shipIRIS Shahid Soleimani, underwent rigoroussea trials. During sea trials, the lead ship was equipped with four 12.7 mmmachine guns which were later replaced with four 20 mm gatling guns. On 5 September 2022,Shahid Soleimani was commissioned intoIRGC's navy branch in acommissioning ceremony.[1]
| Ship | Hull No. | Commissioned | Homeport | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shahid Soleimani | FS313-01 | 2022 | Bandar Abbas | In service |
| Hassan Bagheri | FS313-02 | 2024 | In service | |
| Shahid Sayyad Shirazi | FS313-03 | 2024 | In service | |
| Shahid Rais-Ali Delvari | FS313-04 | 2025[8][9] | In service |