Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy inducted the lead ship of a new class of missile warship last week.
Inducted along with 100 fast-attack boats, the Abu Mahdi Muhandis corvette is expected to enhance the navy’s capabilities.
It bears the name of the former deputy chief of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units, who was assassinated in a US drone strike in 2020 along with Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani.
Stealth Warship
The vessel is a smaller version of the operational Shahid Soleimani-class missile corvette, featuring stealth design.
Its operational radius is 2,000 nautical miles (2301 miles/3,704 kilometers) with an endurance of 14 days, according to IRGC Navy chief Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri.
The 47-meter (154-foot) vessel has a top speed of 36 knots and is powered by an indigenous propulsion system.
Potential Weapons
Its hull design allows it to conduct naval operations in a wind speed of force 5 (up to 21 knots) and stay afloat in wind of force 6 (up to 27 knots), according to Tangsiri.
Potential weapons reportedly include six canisters for anti-ship cruise missiles like the Noor, Qadir, or Ghadir and eight canisters for either Kowsar IR guided anti-ship missiles or close-range surface-to-air missiles.