Ghadir class submarine

Ghadir is a class of midget submarines built in Iran. [Fars News Agency [http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8609030715 Iran to Launch Home-Made Submarine, Destroyer] 24 November 2007] It is named after Ghadir Khumm, a place in Saudi Arabia that is holy to Shia Muslims.

On 24 November 2007 Iranian rear-admiral Habibollah Sayyari announced: "A home-made destroyer called 'Jamaran' and a (home-made) submarine of 'Ghadir' class will launch operation on November 28." [Fars News Agency [http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8609030715 Iran to Launch Home-Made Submarine, Destroyer] 24 November 2007] He also said that the submarine is equipped with the latest military and technological equipment and that its capabilities are equal to that of foreign types. This was Iran's first Ghadir class submarine, but Iran's second domestically produced submarine as Iran launched the Nahang in 2006. [Al-ManarTV [http://www.almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=30177&language=en Iran Hails New Domestically Manufactured Submarine] 28 November 2007]

The submarine is said to be a sonar-evading stealth submarine which is equipped with state-of-the-art electronic equipment and can fire missiles and torpedoes simultaneously, but no information was given on the range of these weapons. Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei was quoted saying: "Today, you have been able to design and build many of the military requirements. We have become self-sufficient from other countries," to Iran's navy commanders on the day the submarine was launched. A picture was released, however it was unclear if this was a Ghadir. [WTOP news [http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=105&sid=1300374 Iran Says It Has Sonar-Evading Submarine] 28 November 2007]

However, despite news sources saying Iran has only one Ghadir class submarine, a youtube video showed 3 Ghadir class submarines next to each other. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bmd67wRvtCk - Video of # Ghadir Class Submarines] This video has since been removed for Terms of Use Violations.

Submarines in the class

References

ee also

* Islamic Republic of Iran Navy
* Current Iranian Navy vessels

External links

* [http://www.diomil.ir/ Defence Industries Organization]
* [http://www.irandefence.net/showthread.php?p=35877 Photos from FARS, scroll up]