Iranian media claim that anti-ship missiles mounted on high-speed boats can hit a target at a distance of up to 180 km.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Army’s (IRGC) naval forces are armed with new fast boats equipped with laser-guided missiles and air defense systems, Fars News reported.
The boats are different in design from the previous models used by the IRGC and are equipped with anti-ship cruise missiles with a range of 180 km, in addition to laser-guided missiles.
It is reported that these are new generation boats. A fast boat of the Zolfaghar type, capable of launching Nawab air defense missiles, also appeared during the presentation.
“Thus, the IRGC became the world’s first owner of high-speed boats capable of carrying air defense missiles,” write Fars News reporters.
Zolfaghar type boats
Iranian Zolfaghars were developed by the IMIG state organization of the military industry on the basis of the IPS 16 boat project, and in turn, these torpedo boats IPS 16 were created on the basis of North Korean samples delivered to Iran. Iranian engineers have completed the DPRK project, so today Iran produces various options for its own and the needs of the Syrian Navy.
The displacement of the Zolfaghar missile boats is 13.7 tons. The trunk is 16.3 meters long and 3.75 meters wide. The power of the two engines reaches 1200 hp, which allows the boat to reach a speed of 52 knots (96 km per hour). At the same time, its cruising range is 580 nautical miles (1074 km).
According to some reports, Zolfaghar has low radar visibility. In addition to missile weapons, the boat has a removable 12.7 mm machine gun located in the bow.
It was previously reported that between March 15-19, joint naval exercises of China, Iran and Russia will continue in the Gulf of Oman. In this context, the Ministry of Defense of China stated that the exercises will contribute to “deepening the practical cooperation between the navies of the participating countries”.
Source: Focus
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