Analysis: Saber-rattling in
Strait of Hormuz
By Tim Lister, CNN
updated 9:25 AM EST, Wed December 28, 2011
“…Today, after decades of sanctions, Iran
does not have the naval power to block the strait, and its aging air force
would be no match for U.S. and gulf state fighter jets. But military experts
say Iran could wage "asymmetrical warfare" -- involving mines and
attacks by Revolutionary Guards' patrol boats. It has also developed a class of
small submarines, three of which were launched last month, according to the
Iranian naval commander quoted by the Fars news agency.”
Iran
launches 3 new submarines
Islamic Republic expands fleet
which according to estimates now sports 14 Ghadir-type submarines
Ynet
Published:
Iran has
expanded its fleet launching three new Ghadir-classsubmarines,
Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari announced on Saturday.
"All parts of these submarines, including their body and
their advanced radar equipment and defense systems, have been designed and
manufactured by our country's defense experts and with the help of the Defense
Ministry," the admiral said in a press conference.
Iranian submarine. As advanced as Western vessels
It is estimated that Iran now has at least 14 Ghadir-class
submarines which are said to be as advanced as Western vessels.
The submarines are armed with torpedo missiles and were
manufactured according to the geographical and climate conditions and
specifications of Iranian waters.
Earlier Saturday, Iranian military officials hinted that
Ghadir-class submarines improve the navy's ability to defend Iranian
territorial waters.”
“Reportedly being mass produced [reportedly at a cost of $18 million each], the first of this class,
Ghadir, has been paraded for the press. Although usually described as a
mini-submarine, it is rather larger than Iran's other mini-subs. The Ghadir,
with a displacement estimated at between 120 tons and 500 tons, is probably
better described as a coastal or littoral submarine, similar in concept to the
Italian Sauro class though significantly smaller. Photographs indicate it has a
pair of bow torpedo tubes which appear to be 21" allowing them to fire
typical heavyweight torpedoes. It could thus serve as a launch platform for the
infamous Shkval rocket torpedo, which has been transfered to Iran.”
Cassi Creek: The submarines in the Iranian fleet are
more akin to the 2-man suicide boats used by Japan in the 2nd World
War attack upon Pearl Harbor than to any vessels in a modern blue-water
navy. They remind me of the
drug-smuggling submersibles in use by South American drug cartels than first
line of battle submarines. If they are
equipped to fire torpedoes and Surface to surface missiles, they will have
little reload capacity.
It looks to be more of a high school home-coming float that a real warship. How many boxes of lentils must sacrifice their tops to buy this boat?
As for the rocket-torpedo “shkval”, the Iranians would do
well to remember that the Soviets never deployed that beast to the fleet. It is likely that the “Kursk” was sunk by a
hot-running unintentional ignition in an on-board “Shkval.” The Soviets and the follow-on Russians have
no real regard for the Iranians and often sold them 3rd tier “monkey
copies” of their technology; just as we did with Afghanistan, Pakistan, and in less
hostile times, Iran.
The U.S. Navy has declared that the straits of Hormuz will
remain open and that no civilized nation would attempt to close that
waterway.
The gauntlet is
thrown, armed conflict in the middle East is all but certain. Iran has committed the folly of believing its
own bombast and lies.
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