TEHRAN – Two new military vessels capable of carrying helicopters will join the fleet of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy, a senior commander said.
Speaking at a televised interview Saturday night, IRGC Navy chief Rear Admiral Ali Reza Tangsiri said the two warships, named after IRGC Navy martyrs Mahdavi and Baqeri, are 240 meters long and 21 meters high.
He noted that both vessels can carry helicopters, missiles and tens of drones, while the Baqeri warship is also equipped with a runway for unmanned aircraft.
The two new vessels can cruise in faraway waters and ensure the security of the Iranian trade vessels in high seas, he added.
The general also pointed to the homegrown patrol combat warship named after Lt. General Qassem Soleimani, saying the advanced vessel is furnished with air defense missiles, including 16 Navvab short-range and 6 Sayyad mid-range missiles.
Tangsiri said four cruise missiles have been installed on the patrol combat warship that can hit targets at ranges of 90, 140, 300 and 750 kilometers.
Last month, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Muhammad Hussein Baqeri said the patrol combat warship is the first Iranian military vessel equipped with air defense missiles with a vertical launching system that can fire mid- and short-range missiles.
The warship’s hull material employs stealth technology construction techniques with a low radar cross section, the commander noted, noting that it can navigate in the oceans and rough seas for various operations.
Furnished with four powerful homegrown engines, the Shahid Soleimani warship can carry out long-range naval missions without coastal logistics.