Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi announced that Damavand destroyer, which has been under overhaul for the past 18 months, is now enjoying many new features and will soon be equipped with vertical launching system (VLS) missile cells, Fars News Agency (FNA) reported.

“This year we will celebrate Damavand destroyer joining the Northern fleet of the Navy,” Rear Admiral Khanzadi said in the Persian Gulf island of Kish.

 “Currently we are working on equipping Damavand destroyer with VLS missile cells,” he added.

 He went on recounting that over the course of the past 18 months of overhaul, the destroyer has been completely resuscitated with all previous edition’s bugs resolved and may new features added.

 Damavand destroyer has been equipped with advanced radar systems with long-range radars to detect targets in long distances, the commander highlighted.

 Khanzadi went on adding that the same process of overhaul and improving the features of the vessels is underway in the Northern fleet of the navy.

 According to the Commander, destroyer Dena, along with a new missile launching frigate will join the Southern fleet within the next 7 months.

 In addition to the two vessels, also a new minesweeper which can also lay mines both on and under surface will join the fleet, according to Khanzadi

 The Navy Commander voiced hope that the military body will celebrate unveiling a 100% home-made hovercraft on November 28, the National Day of the Navy in Iran.

 Damavand destroyer sunk in the Caspian Sea in January 2018 after it suffered damages during the stormy weather of Anzali Port in Northern Iran.

 Back in November 2018, Khanzadi underlined that the country’s experts have decreased the time needed for manufacturing destroyers to less than two years.

 “Today, we enjoy the capacity to build destroyers in a timespan of less than two years and we are making efforts to reduce it to less than one year,” Rear Admiral Khanzadi said in an interview with the Arabic-language al-Alam news channel.