Iranian Navy Unveils First SIGINT Intelligence Vessel, “Zagros 313”

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — Iranian authorities have unveiled the country’s first signal intelligence (SIGINT) vessel, Zagros 313, equipped with advanced “electronic sensors” for intelligence gathering and surveillance operations.

“The Zagros will serve as the watchful eye of the Iranian Navy in the depths of the seas and oceans,” stated Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, as reported by the media recently.

According to Iranian state media, the indigenously built SIGINT warship will soon join the Iranian Navy’s fleet.

Press TV described the Zagros as Tehran’s latest and most advanced vessel, designed for combat and intelligence missions.

The SIGINT ship was officially handed over during the inauguration ceremony of a new naval base in Jask, located along the Gulf of Oman.

This base will serve as the primary hub for future SIGINT operations.

The event was attended by Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri, as well as senior military and government officials, engineers, and scientists.

Zagros is the sixth vessel in the Mowj-class (Wave-class) of warships, classified variably as destroyers or frigates. It is one of the seven vessels planned for this class.

These warships are constructed at the Naval Factories shipyard in Bandar Abbas and the Shahid Tamjidi shipyard in Bandar Anzali, specifically for the northern Caspian fleet.

With a displacement of 1,500 tons, the Mowj-class vessels are the largest domestically-built warships, second only to the converted forward base ship Makran and the drone carrier Shahid Bagheri.

SIGINT vessels typically require robust power-generation capabilities to support electronic intelligence (ELINT) sensors and associated subsystems.

Iran’s choice to utilize a warship design for the Zagros, rather than the more common commercial hull, has surprised many observers.

While commercial hulls offer more space for equipment and are easier to construct and operate, they are significantly more vulnerable in combat situations.

The Zagros is equipped with cutting-edge electronic warfare and intelligence capabilities, including sensors capable of intercepting, collecting, decrypting, and analyzing radio-frequency signals from hostile or potentially hostile emitters.

This enables the Iranian Navy to detect and counter adversarial operations far from Iranian territory, where SIGINT stations are already operational, particularly in the Indian Ocean and beyond.

In recent years, Iran has demonstrated its blue-water naval capabilities, including circumnavigating the globe.

This positions the Zagros, as part of the fleet, to operate in virtually any corner of the world.

Its operations are expected to focus on monitoring U.S. Navy aircraft carrier groups and hostile naval missions by the Israeli regime.

While specific technical details on the Zagros’ sensors and equipment remain undisclosed, observations from photos and videos reveal certain features.

The ship’s primary antennas are housed within three large radomes (radar domes), while four smaller radomes, located at the corners of the superstructure, likely host satellite communication systems.

Atop the ship’s mast, above the naval radar, is an Afaq electronic warfare jamming communication station, first introduced during military exercises three years ago.

The warship is also reported to have cyber defense capabilities against digital threats, although no official specifics have been provided.

Notably, the Zagros features a flight deck and hangar capable of accommodating a helicopter, a rare attribute for a SIGINT vessel. This suggests the ship may have a multi-role operational capability, particularly in anti-submarine warfare, for which AB212 helicopters are equipped.

There is speculation that the Zagros may be armed in the future, though its combat roles are currently expected to be carried out by accompanying escort vessels.

– DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA