Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri said that the IRGC has, for the first time ever, armed its vessels with domestically-built naval cruise missiles with a range of 2,000 km.
Speaking on Monday in Tehran, Rear Admiral Tangsiri said that such missiles have been installed on the Iranian-made warship dubbed “Martyr Soleimani”.
He said that the warship has been for the first time equipped with indigenous vertical launch missiles as well as surface-to-surface cruise missiles with ranges from 40 to 2,000 kilometers, Fars News Agency (FNA) reported.
“Enemies are well aware of Iran’s progress in the defense industry, and that is why they have been trying to throw a wrench in the Islamic Republic’s push to promote its military,” Rear Admiral Tangsiri stressed.
He added prior to the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Iranian Navy would not even dare ask the powers why they entered the country’s territorial waters.
“Today, however, it is the world powers, including the US, that dare not enter the Iranian territorial waters thanks to the Iranian Navy’s strength, and when they do, they swiftly change course and enter the neighborly waters,” the IRGC Navy Commander continued.
Back in early May, Tangsiri said that Iran has started constructing a new generation aircraft carrier different from the existing ones in the world.
“One of our most important plans is to construct an aircraft carrier. This ship will be unique in the world,” the IRGC Commander stated, adding that the carrier will come out with unprecedented capabilities.
He noted the Iranian-made ship is capable of both carrying aircraft and a number of missile launchers on board.
Back in early-March, an oceangoing warship, known as mobile naval city capable of carrying helicopters and drones, joined the fleet of the IRGC Navy.
The domestically-developed ship, named Martyr Mahdavi, provides the IRGC a large and floating base from which to run the small and fast boats, helicopters and various types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). The ship can cruise in faraway waters and ensure the security of the Iranian trade vessels in high seas.
The oceangoing warship is 240 meters in length and 32 meters in width and weighs 14,000 tons and has a load capacity of 41,000 tons. It has been equipped with a 3-dimensional phased array radar, sea-to-sea and sea-to-air missiles, advanced communication systems for electronic warfare, and cruise missiles with a range of 700km. It is capable of carrying helicopters and drones.
The Islamic Republic’s military doctrine holds that the country’s armed capability solely serves defensive purposes. Iranian officials have repeatedly stressed that the country will not hesitate to boost its military capabilities, including its missile and drone power, which are entirely meant for defense, and that Iran’s defense capabilities will never be subject to negotiation.
