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Iranian Navy Testing its Latest Systems during Large Joint Exercise

Focus - Iranian Navy Joint Exercise

Iranian Navy Testing its Latest Systems during Large Joint Exercise

Different units of the Iranian Army's Ground Force, Navy, Air Force and Air Defense started six days of large joint military exercises codenamed Mohammad Rasoulallah started last week in Iran. It cover an area of 2.2 million square kilometers from the East of the Strait of Hormuz to the Southern parts of the Gulf of Aden. Several naval systems were unveiled or test-fired during the drills.

An Iranian Navy SH-3D anti-submarine helicopter launches the latest Iranian made torpedo during Mohammad Rasoulallah exercise

According to FARS News quoting Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, the torpedo, test-fired recently, was used in operation for the first time on Monday. The torpedo was last month test-fired in Jask region, Southern Iran, and can be fired from submarines, surface vessels and helicopters. 2 anti-subsurface SH-3D helicopters which were delivered to the Navy on December 1 were equipped with the torpedoes. The torpedo successfully hit and destroyed the specified sub-surface target in the waters of the Sea of Oman, Southern Iran.

Noor anti-ship missiles are launched from mobile coastal batteries during the large scale exercise

The Iranian Naval forces successfully fired its Noor and Nasr anti-ship missiles on the fifth day of the Mohammad Rasoulallah drills in the Southern and Southeastern parts of the country. The Nour and Nasr missiles are based on Chinese designs.

The Noor, also known as the Nour, is based on China's C-802 missile. An Iranian Navy officer said the Noor missile to be fired "has been improved with its anti-radar and targeting system," according to ISNA. An Iranian Nour missile was reportedly used by the Iran-linked Hezbollah militia in Lebanon to disable an Israeli warship during a 2006 conflict.

The Nasr anti-ship missile is based on China's C-704 missile and has a range of 35 kilometres (22 miles). Iran has them mounted aboard patrol boats.

The Iranian Navy on Sunday launched its newly-developed mine laying and sweeping system

On the fourth day of the drills, the Iranian Navy rolled mines in the Sea of Oman and the area where the exercises are staged to prevent hypothetical enemies' infiltration into the territorial waters. After rolling the mines, the Iranian Naval forces defused them using minesweeping RH helicopters to provide security for the cargo ships and oil tankers and keeping the shipping lines open. The Navy's new integrated mine laying and sweeper system was then unveiled in a ceremony participated by Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari. As regards the systems' ability to defuse different types of mines, including acoustic, limpet (also magnetic) and pressure-activated mines, Jarreh stated, "We are using specific minesweepers for defusing each type of mines, but these systems can clear one or two types of naval mines simultaneously."

Iran's Fateh class submarine

According to FARS News, the Iranian Navy is due to launch its new home-made submarine, 'Fateh', in the coming stages of the Mohammad Rasoulallah joint maneuvers underway in the Southern waters of the country. "The Fateh submarine will go under operational testing during the present drills by the Navy," Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habobollah Sayyari told reporters on Saturday. Noting that Fateh which is the new generation of Iran's submarines has not been launched officially yet, he said, the vessel will be tested in operation during the current exercises.

Fateh (Conqueror) is an Iranian designed class of semi-heavy submarines. The Iranian media reported that Fateh class subs can operate more than 200 meters below the sea surface for nearly five weeks. According to satellite imagery first boat of the class was launched in 2013 and a second one is under construction at the Bandar Anzali Naval Base on the Caspian Sea. The Fateh could be an improved version of the existing 29-meter Ghadir class that the Iranians have been building for years.

Iran announced in April 2013 that it had increased the power and efficiency of the missiles and torpedoes mounted on its newly-made Fateh submarines. "Naturally, the power of Fateh's missiles and torpedoes are more than Qadir (class) submarines (which are equipped with sonar-evading technology and can fire missiles and torpedoes simultaneously)," Lieutenant Commander of the Iranian Navy Rear Admiral Gholam Reza Khadem Biqam told FNA at the time.

FARS News Footage showing the Iranian Navy Fokker 27 MPA warning U.S. Navy destroyer USS Gridley (DDG 101) during the large scale exercise

The above footage shows that during the joint exercise, On Dec. 28, an Iranian Navy Fokker 27 Maritime Patrol Aicraft (MPA) conducted several low-level passes above U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Gridley (DDG 101).

FARS News later published a story explaining that: Two US warships approaching the area where Iran's massive Mohammad Rasoulallah drills are underway left the region after receiving warnings from the Iranian Naval forces. The Iranian Navy warning made the US and other alien warships leave the region to avoid possible confrontation.