Iran to equip indigenous hovercraft with long-range missiles

Rear Admiral Shahram Irani stated on Saturday that the primary mission of the Iranian Navy is to guard and secure the country's maritime borders, emphasizing that the naval forces’ fleets of vessels, submarines and aircraft have been overhauled and renovated by Iranian military experts and specialists.

He went on to describe the Navy’s 86th flotilla, which comprised domestically-manufactured Dena destroyer and Makran forward base ship, and arrived home on May 18 last year after completing an overseas mission and sailing around the world, as an outward manifestation of the Iranian nation and government’s authority.

The high-ranking Iranian commander noted that a series of new indigenous hovercraft will join the Navy soon, which are armed with long-range missiles.

The Navy’s Caspian Sea fleet has been furnished with sophisticated Deylaman destroyer which enjoys outstanding capabilities, while the missile prowess of the southern fleet has been enhanced both in terms of quantity and range, and the missiles can now strike and destroy targets at a distance of 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) away, Irani pointed out.

He also praised the development of dual-purpose torpedoes, stating that major achievements in the production of such munitions will be soon put on display.

Iran’s Navy has in recent years achieved self-sufficiency in manufacturing surface and sub-surface vessels.

It has also increased its presence in international waters to protect naval routes and provide security for merchant vessels and tankers.

Iranian military experts and engineers have in recent years made remarkable breakthroughs in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient.