Armed with Cruise Missiles, Iran’s Soleimani-Class Catamaran Corvettes Posed a “Threat”
The appearance of the IRGC Navy's Soleimani-class catamaran corvettes, equipped with long-range cruise missiles, poses a threat not only to United States warships in the region but also to its ground forces' positions.
(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGC-N) commissioned two more Soleimani-class catamaran corvettes recently, equipping them with up to six cruise missiles capable of striking targets from 700km to 2,000km away.
This addition brings the total number of Soleimani-class catamaran corvettes in the IRGC Navy to three this year.
The newly commissioned state-of-the-art warships are named “Shahid Hassan Bagheri” and “Shahid Sayyid Shirazi.”
These catamaran corvettes are also equipped with air defense systems capable of engaging aerial targets up to 300km away and can carry helicopters and three high-speed attack boats.
Last month, the IRGC Navy’s first catamaran corvette, “Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis,” was commissioned.
All three Soleimani-class catamaran corvettes feature a stealth design to reduce their radar signature and make it difficult for enemy radar and monitoring systems to detect them at sea.
Previously, IRGC Navy Commander Admiral Alireza Tangsiri stated that the Shahid Soleimani-class corvette named Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis could remain at sea for 14 days with an operational radius of 2,000 nautical miles.
The unique design of these catamaran corvettes allows them to operate undetected by enemy radar and surveillance, according to the IRGC Navy commander.
The development of these catamaran corvettes is a result of collaboration between three domestic entities, showcasing Iran’s capability in producing stealth warships.
With their catamaran design and locally developed propulsion systems, these warships can operate in Sea State 6 conditions.
Besides their stealth design, the Soleimani-class warships are equipped with various weapons systems, including 30mm, 20mm, and 23mm cannons.
They are also armed with “Noor” anti-ship guided missiles capable of hitting targets up to 300km away and cruise missile systems that can strike targets between 700km and 2,000km.
For air defense, the Shahid Soleimani-class corvettes are equipped with the “Kosar” short-range air defense system.
Equipped with long-range cruise missiles, the Shahid Soleimani-class warships, with their catamaran design, pose a significant threat to any enemy vessels in the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, and up to the Arabian Sea.
Iran introduced its latest stealth-capable warships amidst escalating tensions in the region, following Israeli military airstrikes that killed senior IRGC leaders in Syria, Hamas in Beirut, and Iranian-backed militia groups in Iraq. — DSA
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