| Islamic Republic of Iran Navy | |
|---|---|
| نیروی دریایی ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ایران | |
 The seal of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy | |
| Founded |
|
| Country | Iran |
| Branch | Navy |
| Role | Naval warfare |
| Size | 20,000 (2024 estimate)[1] |
| Part of | Army (Artesh) |
| Garrison/HQ | Bandar Abbas[1] |
| Nickname(s) | Persian:دریادلان,Dəryâdēlân "Seahearts" |
| Motto(s) | Persian:راه ما، راه حسین است,Râh-ē mâ, râh-ē hoseyn əst "Our Path, IsHussain's Path"[2] |
| Anniversaries | 28 November |
| Fleet | |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | CommodoreShahram Irani |
| Insignia | |
| Ensign |  |
| Flag |  |
| Jack |  |
| Roundel |  |
TheIslamic Republic of Iran Navy orIranian Navy (IRIN;Persian:نیروی دریایی ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ایران,romanized: Nirū-yē Dəryâyi-yē Ərtēš-ē Žomhūri-yē Ēslâmi-yē Irân), officially abbreviatedNEDAJA (Persian:نداجا), is thenaval warfare service branch ofIran's regular military, theIslamic Republic of Iran Army (Artesh).[3][4] It is one of Iran's two maritime military branches, alongside theNavy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).[5]
NEDAJA is charged with forming Iran's first line of defense in theGulf of Oman,Persian Gulf and abroad.[3] It is generally considered to be a conventionalgreen-water navy, as it mostly operates regionally,[4] namely in theRed Sea,Mediterranean Sea, and northwest quarter of theIndian Ocean.[3] The Navy aims to developblue-water capabilities: in July 2016, it announced plans to establish a presence in theAtlantic Ocean,[6] and as of May 2021 has sent ships into the region.[7]
NEDAJA shares many functions and responsibilities with the IRGC Navy, with distinctions inmilitary strategy and equipment: In contrast to the IRGC Navy, which is equipped with small fast-attack craft, the backbone of the Artesh naval inventory consists of larger surface ships, including frigates and corvettes, and submarines.[4]
The Artesh Navyhas a large fleet by the standards of the developing world,[8] and has been described as maintaining "robust" capabilities by regional standards.[9] As of 2019, the Navy has several joint exercises withRussia andChina called theMarine Security Belt,[10] which it aims to conduct annually.[11]
An Iranian navy in one form or another has existed sinceAchaemenid times and theFirst Persian Empire around 500 BC. The Islamic Republic of Iran Navy came into being when the formerImperial Iranian Navy (IIN) of thePahlavi Era was renamed following theIranian Revolution in 1979.
The Iranian navy was rebuilt after being almost completely destroyed during theAnglo-Soviet invasion of Iran inWorld War II. Following World War II, the fleet began replacing destroyed warships withdestroyers,frigates and many smaller vessels, includingpowerboats andhovercraft, many of which originated from the US and UK, which had played a part in destroying much of the original equipment in World War II.
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the lastShah of Iran, ordered four moderngeneral purpose destroyers from the United States and eight modifiedKortenaer-class frigates fromRoyal Schelde, but both contracts were canceled after the 1979 Iranian revolution. The destroyers were instead commissioned in theU.S. Navy as theKidd class, while construction of the frigates had not yet started.[12][13]
Following this was the US-led arms embargo on Iran and theIran–Iraq War, in which the IRIN played a role. The arms embargo restricted Iran's ability to maintain and equip its navy. It had to find new sources of armaments. Equipment and weaponry were imported from the Soviet Union, China, North Korea and later, Russia. Iran also established its own domestic armaments industry. This industry has also supported the navy by providing weaponry, equipment and spare parts.
In terms of major surface ships, Iran relies on itsAlvand-class frigates, as well as the newMoudge-class frigates, which were indigenously developed in Iran and are reverse engineeredAlvand class with modern electronics, radar and armament. The navy does not includecapital ships; its largest ships are four frigates and threecorvettes. Eight ships are supported by threeRussian built SSKKilo-class attack submarines andGhadir andNahang-class mini submarines.[14][15]
In July 2016, the Navy said that it would establish a presence in theAtlantic Ocean, of unspecified duration.[6]
In December 2019, the Iranian Navy's head Rear AdmiralHossein Khanzadi acknowledged in a televised interview that the Navy was now dependent on annual joint exercises with Russia and China, and that efforts by other countries to form alliances against Iran in the Persian Gulf were "pointless."[11]
For the first time in its history, the Navy captured two U.S. Navy sea drones in the Red Sea on 6 September 2022.[16]
It was reported on 27 February 2023 that Brazil gave permissionIRIS Makran andIRIS Dena to dock atRio de Janeiro.[17]
On 29 April 2023 the Iran Navy seized aMarshall Islands flaggedSuezmax tanker, theAdvantage Sweet, laden with oil fromKuwait and bound forHouston, offMuscat. The US Navy said it was "at least the fifth commercial vessel [seized] by Tehran in the last two years". It appeared that the vessel managers were Turkish and the owner was Chinese.[18]This seizure is in response to the U.S. seizing the Iran-origin cargo on thesuezmaxSuez Rajan off southeast Malaysia earlier in the month, which is now sailing to the U.S.[19][20]
According to 'The Military Balance 2020' of theInternational Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS), the inventory includes:[1]
Based on reports published by Flightglobal Insight and the IISS, as of 2020, Iranian naval aircraft inventory includes:
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed-wing aircraft | ||||||
| Dornier 228 | Germany | transport | Unknown | in total 5 in the inventory[1] | ||
| Dassault Falcon 20 | France | transport | 1[21] | in total 3 in the inventory[1] | ||
| Fokker F27 | Netherlands | transport | 3[21] | in total 4 in the inventory[1] | ||
| Turbo Commander 680 | United States | transport | Unknown | in total 4 in the inventory[1] | ||
| Helicopters | ||||||
| Bell 212 | United States | transport | AB-212[1] | 8[21] | in total 10 in the inventory[1] | |
| Bell 205 | United States | transport | AB-205A[1] | Unknown | in total 5 in the inventory[1] | |
| Bell 206 | United States | transport | AB-206[1] | Unknown | in total 2 in the inventory[1] | |
| Mil Mi-17 | Russia | transport | 5[21] | |||
| Sikorsky SH-3 | United States | anti-submarine | S-61/ASH-3D | 8[21] | in total 10 in the inventory[1] | |
| Sikorsky CH-53 | United States | mine countermeasures | S-65/RH-53D | 6[21] | ||
In 1977, the bulk of the fleet was shifted fromKhorramshahr to the new headquarters atBandar-e Abbas.Bushehr was the other main base; smaller facilities were located at Khorramshahr,Khark Island, andBandar-e Imam Khomeini (formerly known as Bandar-e Shahpur).Bandar-e Anzali (formerly known as Bandar-e Pahlavi) was the major training base and home of the smallCaspian Sea fleet, which consisted of a few patrol boats and a minesweeper. The naval base atBandar Beheshti (formerly known as Chah Bahar) on theGulf of Oman had been under construction since the late 1970s and in late 1987 still was not completed. Smaller facilities were located near the Strait of Hormuz.[22]
Suffering from decaying Western-supplied weapons purchased by theShah, Tehran has been acquiring new weapons from Russia, China andNorth Korea. Iran has expanded the capabilities of the naval branch of theIRGC, acquired additional mine warfare capability, and upgraded some of its older surface ships. Iran's exercises have included a growing number of joint and combined arms exercises with the land forces and air force. Iran has also improved its ports and strengthened its air defences, while obtaining some logistic and technical support from states like India and Pakistan.
As far as major new equipment is concerned, Iran has been building up its naval strength by acquiring three Kilo-class submarines from Russia, as well as other equipment, including 10Houdong fast attack craft fromChina.Russia andIndia were reported to be assisting Iran with training and operating its Kilo-class submarines. As regards other requirements, in December 1997, Rear Admiral Mohammad Karim Tavakoli, commander of the First Naval Zone, with HQ at thePersian Gulf port ofBandar Abbas, claimed that the Iranian Navy had completed design work on three multirole corvettes and a small submarine, to be built in Iran.
In August 2000, Iran announced that it had launched its first domestically produced light submarine or swimmer delivery vehicle, named the Al-Sabiha 15 because of its 15-meter (49 ft) length, in an official ceremony at theBandar Abbas naval base. In May 2005, Iran navy announced that it had launched its first Ghadir-classmidget submarine and on 8 March 2006 announced that it had launched another submarine namedNahang (Persian: whale).
During 2000, the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy Aviation significantly improved its capability by taking delivery, from Russia, of a number ofMi-8 AMT (Mi-171) transport/attack helicopters. Under a contract signed in 1999, Russia agreed to supply 21Mi-171s to Iran. Delivery was completed in 2001; although the exact number destined for the navy was unknown. In summer 2001, there were indications that Iran would order a further 20 Mi-171s, although as of mid-2004, it was not known if this had occurred.
In November 2002 sources at both Iran'sAerospace Industries Organisation (AIO) and theChina Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (COSIC) confirmed that the two groups were working on common anti-ship missile production and development. The effort, which Iranian sources callProject Noor, covers the short-range C-701 and the long-range C-802 weapons developed by COSIC's China National Precision Machinery Import and Export Co subsidiary. The possibility that a formal collaborative project was under way was first raised in 1998, when Iran displayed an Anti-Ship missile design similar to the 15-kilometer (9.3 mi) rangeC-701 shortly after the Chinese system was unveiled.
An AIO spokesperson confirmed that Project Noor involves the C-701. However, officials in the same company describe the weapon as "a long-range, turbojet-powered, sea-skimming Anti-Ship missile," which better fits the 120 km (75 mi) rangeC-802, and suggests that the co-operation agreement may cover both weapon systems. In early 2004, Iran announced the release of a new cruise missile program named Raad (Thunder). The Raad appears to be a modification of the ChineseHY-2 (CSSC-3)anti-ship missile, one of a series of missiles China developed from the original Soviet-eraP21 (SS-N-2C) design.
On 29 September 2003, Iran's domestically producedSina-class (reverse engineered from theKaman-class) missile boatPaykan, equipped with modern anti-ship missiles and modern electronics entered service in the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy. The ship was launched in theCaspian Sea to protect Iran's interests there and was mentioned among the achievements of the Iranian Navy by Rear AdmiralHabibollah Sayyari.
On 22 September 2006, Iran announced to have commissioned their second self-madeSina-class missile boat,Joshan. Built in memory of the originalJoshan, lost in the Persian Gulf duringOperation Praying Mantis on 18 April 1988. According to Iran's Navy commander Admiral Kouchaki,Joshan has a claimed speed of over 45-knot (83 km/h; 52 mph)[3] and "enjoys the world's latest technology, especially with regard to its military, electrical and electronic systems, frame and chassis, and it has the capabilities required for launching powerful missiles."
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In 2002, Iran announced it would start the production of its first domestically produced destroyer. By most international standards the ship, the first of theMoudge class, would be considered a light frigate or a corvette.[24] On 24 November 2007 Iran's rear admiral Habibollah Sayyari announced that Iran would launch its first domestically produceddestroyer,Jamaran, though internationally rated as a frigate, and an Iranian Ghadir-class submarine. It is said to be a sonar evading stealth submarine. Initially known asMoje, thenMoje I, finallyJamaran, appears to be a development of theAlvand class. The Moudge or Moje-class guided missile frigate entered service in 2010. Another frigate in the same class, namedDamavand, has been commissioned in the port of Bandar Anzali in the Caspian Sea in 2013. This ship just likeJamaran has the capability to carry helicopters, anti-ship missiles,surface-to-air missiles,torpedoes, modern guns and air defence guns. The ship is also equipped with electronic warfare devices. The two mentioned frigates have brought Iran's frigate arsenal from three to five, while two others are being built, to be added to Iran's fleet of warships in thePersian Gulf.
In March 2006, the navy deployed a submarine namedNahang (Whale), with pictures broadcast by state media at the time showing a minisub.
On 22 February 2008, the Iranian Defense Ministry announced that 74 domestically produced "gunboats" (small missile boats) had entered service with the Iranian Navy.[25] The Navy has had reported to have theHoot supercavitating torpedo and theThaqeb (missile) in trials or service, though reliable information is scarce.
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Iran's Deputy Navy Commander CaptainMansour Maqsoudlou announced in February 2010 that Iran has begun planning to design and manufacture domestically built aircraft carriers. The initial designs for building the carriers have been approved as of 2010 and the process of research and the design for the aircraft carrier is currently being looked into by the Iranian government.
In 2012, Iran overhauled one of the Kilo-class submarines in its possession, IRSYounis. Iran was able to complete this re-haul at Bandar Abbas naval base. In addition, the Iranian Navy has modernized and re-commissioned the 1,135-tonBayandor-class corvettes; equipped with Noor anti-ship cruise missiles and torpedo launchers. Another modern frigate namedSahand, with 2,000 tons displacement was being fitted up with weapons and equipment in Bandar Abbas naval base; and was planned for launch in 2013.
In July 2012, foreign analysts reported that Iran was gaining new deployment capabilities, allegedly to strike at US warships in thePersian Gulf in the case of an armed conflict, amassing an arsenal of anti-ship missiles while expanding its fleet of fast-attack crafts andsubmarines. Many of the systems were developed with foreign assistance, such as the anti-ship missiles Silkworm, which is Chinese-made, and high-speed torpedoes based on Russian designs. In weeks prior, Iranian leadership had been threatening to shut down shipping in the gulf region as retaliation for any attacks by the United States on its nuclear facilities.[27][28]
In December 2014, Iran conducted joint wargames involving the Iranian Army, Air Force and Navy. Naval phase took part on a wide area, ranging from Persian Gulf to northern Indian Ocean and to Gulf of Aden. New systems were tested, including new anti-ship cruise missiles, electro-magnetic and acoustic naval mine-sweeping system and Fateh submarine.
On February 17, 2019, newspapers reported that Iran unveiled a domestically produced submarine capable of firing cruise missiles.[29] On November 30, 2019, Iran's navy announced the mass production of the Jask cruise missile, which is launched from Iranian submarines. It also unveiled a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) naval drone named Pelican-2, which had already been deployed on "naval fleets in international waters."[30]
Iran's navy deployed two warships to the Gulf of Aden in August 2019 to protect commercial shipping, including the destroyerSahand and the supply ship/replenishment oilerKharg.[31] In September 2019, the head of the Iran navy said it was ready to defend its marine borders, and denied US and Saudi claims that Iran had orchestrated recent attacks on Saudi oil sites.[32] On November 20, 2019, Islamic Republic News Agency reported that Iran's navy had sent a fleet of 64 ships to the Gulf of Aden to "safeguard Iran's interests" in an "insecure seafaring region." The month prior, a maritime coalition led by the United States had formally launched operations in the Gulf.[33] The Iran and US navies subsequently encountered each other in the Strait of Hormuz on November 23, 2019, with no conflict.[34]
On December 4, 2019, Khanzadi stated that exercises, called Marine Security Belt, with China and Russia would begin on December 27 in the northern Indian Ocean.[35] On December 30, 2019, Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi acknowledged during a televised interview with the semi-officialMehr News Agency that the Iranian Navy conducted joint exercises with Russia and China and will continue to do so on an annual basis.[11] However, Khanzadi also stated that the drills were now needed due to a lack of coordination.[11] He also stated that invitations which invited other countries to participate in the drills were unsuccessful.[11]
27°08′34″N56°12′55″E / 27.1427°N 56.2154°E /27.1427; 56.2154
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