Official: Iran Self-Sufficient in Building Light Submarines, unveil new one soon.

Official: Iran Self-Sufficient in Building Light Submarines. (fars).

A senior Iranian military official announced the country's self-sufficiency in building light submarines, adding that Iran plans to unveil new submarines soon.

There are three classes of submarines, Head of the Navy's Research and Self-Sufficiency Jihad Office General Ali Gholamzadeh said on Wednesday, adding that Iran has attained self-sufficiency in building “light” submarines.

He also said that Iran will unveil a home-made semi-heavy submarine in the coming months, and announced, "We are designing and building heavy and semi-heavy submarines, and the Fateh (Conqueror) submarine will be unveiled this (Iranian calendar) year (ending March 20, 2015),”

Also last month, Gholamzadeh announced the country's plans to launch Fateh submarines and different Mowj Class destroyers in the near future.

"We will soon launch the Fateh class submarines and the second, third, fourth and fifth version of Mowj class destroyers, and one of them will be unveiled this year," he said in a press conference in Tehran.

Asked if Iran is capable of building heavier and bigger destroyers than its first home-made destroyer, 'Jamaran', he said, "Now that we have acquired the know-how to build destroyers, there is no doubt that we can construct destroyers better than Jamaran."

Gholamzadeh said Damavand destroyer is more equipped than Jamaran, although Jamaran itself has also been equipped with a number of Damavand's equipment, including 'Asr' radar system.

He also announced that the construction of Fateh, a semi-heavy submarine with abundant possibilities, has ended, and the vessel is now under tests. (Ready for Christmas shopping)

Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari announced in August that the country had gained the capability to launch production line of destroyers, and also announced plans to launch a new submarine in the near future.

"Today, the Navy has acquired the capability to launch the production line of destroyers and our project for building destroyers has started at the order of the Supreme Leader since a while ago and we are witnessing newer and more updated achievements in this project now," Sayyari told reporters in Tehran.

He said that Iran's new destroyer named Sahand is 30% more advanced than the country's first destroyer, Jamaran.

Sayyari also said that Iran would launch its new submarine, Fateh, on the Navy Day (November 28).

In recent years, Iran has made great achievements in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing essential military equipment and systems.

Sayyari in July announced the Iranian Navy's plans to launch one of its advanced home-made destroyers, named Damavand, in the country's territorial waters in the near future.

"Destroyer Damavand will join the Islamic Republic of Iran's Navy in the near future," Sayyari told FNA.

Tehran launched an arms development program during the 1980-88 Iraqi imposed war on Iran to compensate for a US weapons embargo. Since 1992, Iran has produced its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles and fighter planes.

Yet, Iranian officials have always stressed that the country's military and arms programs serve defensive purposes and should not be perceived as a threat to any other country.

Navy Commander: Iran to Unveil New Home-Made Submarine Soon.

Navy Commander: Iran to Unveil New Home-Made Submarine Soon.(Fars).

Iran’s new home-made submarine, Fateh, will be unveiled in the next few months, Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said.

“Following the construction of Qadir (class) submarine by the Iranian Navy experts, Fateh submarine will be unveiled early next (Iranian) year (to start on March 20),” Sayyari said in the Southern city of Bushehr on Sunday.

He said that the Iranian Navy has also reached complete self-sufficiency in overhauling Kilo class (hi-tech) submarines due to its eye-catching progress in the last 20 years.

In relevant remarks in August, Lieutenant Commander of the Iranian Navy Rear Admiral Gholam Reza Khadem Biqam announced that Iran has increased the power and efficiency of the missiles and torpedoes mounted on its newly-made Fateh submarines, stressing that Iran will implement any improvement made in systems and weapons of its new submarines in older subsurface vessels like Qadir class and even Kilo class which are used by the Navy.

Elsewhere, Sayyari referred to the presence of the Iranian fleets of warships in the international waters to protect the cargo ships and oil tankers from the pirates’ attacks, and said, “We have escorted and led away nearly 2,000 cargo ships and oil tankers from the danger zone due to the Navy’s might and power.”

The Iranian Navy has been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008, when Somali raiders hijacked the Iranian-chartered cargo ship, MV Delight, off the coast of Yemen.

According to UN Security Council resolutions, different countries can send their warships to the Gulf of Aden and coastal waters of Somalia against the pirates and even with prior notice to Somali government enter the territorial waters of that country in pursuit of Somali sea pirates.


The Gulf of Aden – which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea – is an important energy corridor, particularly because Persian Gulf oil is shipped to the West via the Suez Canal.

Satellite Imagery Shows 'Moderate & Peacefull' Iran Launching Biggest Submarine Yet in Persian Gulf.

Satellite Imagery Shows 'Moderate and Peacefull' Iran Launching Biggest Submarine Yet in Persian Gulf.HT: Algemeiner.

Iran has launched its Fateh-class submarine, the largest it has ever built, into the Persian Gulf, and is building a second at the Caspian port of Bandar Anzali, according to satellite imagery seen by IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly, which is publishing the photographs later on Wednesday.

Jane’s said that at about 48 meters, the Fateh-class is bigger than the largest subs built by North Korea, which is believed to have helped Iran produce its 29-meter Ghadir midget subs. The one being built at Bandar Anzali will also be the first submarine launched in the Caspian.

“This is another step in the militarization of the hydrocarbon-rich Caspian, where Iran has yet to come to an agreement with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan regarding their territorial boundaries,” Jane’s wrote.

The defense sector weekly said that Iran may be planning to unveil the new subs on Navy Day, November 28th, marking a naval victory over Iraq in 1980.

The unveiling would come just days after a U.S.-brokered international treaty lifted economic sanctions on the regime.More here.

Iran’s Navy Develops New Sub Armed with Missiles.

Iran’s Navy Develops New Sub Armed with Missiles.(UOI).

Deputy Commander of the Iranian Navy, Rear Admiral Qolam-Reza Khadem Bigham, has announced that its new indigenously-developed Fateh-class submarines are armed with missiles and torpedoes with high power and efficiency. Adm. Bigham also said that the existing Ghadir-class (Yono IS 120-class) midget submarines could now fire missiles and torpedoes simultaneously. (IHS Jane's Missiles & Rockets, 22 August)

The first Fateh-class submarine will be publicly shown in the near future, and will become operational by the end of this year, according to IRIN. The new sub is believed to have displacement of about 500 tons, limiting its firepower. No details of the design or its armament have been released. IRIN Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari had said that aside from Fateh-class submarines, Kaman-class missile-launcher warships and Jamaran 2 destroyer will become operational in the current Iranian calendar year (ending 20 March 2014).