Iranian Navy OB for RDF Sourcebook

[Matt Wiser]

As per requests, here's the Iranian Navy OB for RDF Sourcebook:

Iranian People's Navy: HQ Bandar Abbas:

Bases also available at Chah Bahar (Gulf of Oman), Bushehr (Persian Gulf), and Kharg Island.

Frigates:

3 Vosper Mk 5 FF, with Sea Killer anti-ship missiles replaced by Harpoon. All three vessels refurbished in Western Yards after Iran Nowin government took power. Two based Bandar Abbas. One sunk 1997.

2 PF-103 class. Ex-USN used by Imperial Iranian Navy beginning 1964. No missile armament; guns and ASW weapons (Depth Charges, Hedgehog) only. Both based Bushehr.

Two Perry (FFG-7) on order from American yards when Iranian Civil War began. Neither unit delivered prior to TDM.

Destroyers:

Both ex-Sumner class DDs (Babr and Pelang) retired in anticipation of arrival of Perrys. Neither ship able to return to sea after the Soviet invasion. Babr sunk at Bandar Abbas while serving as a floating AA battery. Pelang sunk at Bushehr serving in the same role.


FAC(M):

La Combattante (Kaman) Class: French built for Imperial Iranian Navy. Two units lost, one in 1980 to Iraqi forces, one to USN in 1988. Remaining 11 units had Harpoon stocks replenished. Six lost, remainder continue to serve, based at Bandar Abbas and Bushehr.

Hudong (Tondar) Class: Ex-IRGCN. Served alongside Kaman-class. Chinese built with four C-802 missiles, plus 30-mm and 23-mm guns. Several lost. Moored at Bushehr and Bandar Abbas due to lack of parts.


Patrol Craft: Over fifty still operational, mainly ex-IRGCN. Bogahammer the most common, with MGs and Mark-19 AGs. Used mainly alongside USN and USCG for port security and patrolling near islands such as Sirri, Farsi, and Abu Musa.

Amphibious Forces:

Hengnam class LST: (2 survivors). Based Bandar Abbas. Supported Chah Bahar amphibious operations in 2000.

MCM: Two ex-USN Cape class MSCs. Based at Bushehr.

Support: Kharg-class Replenishment ship. Single unit used as transport on the Bandar Abbas-Bandar Khomeni route.

Naval Aviation is covered in the Iranian AF OB on Chico's site.

Kilo-class SSKs delivered 1992 and 1993 transferred to USN and RN 1995.