Iranian frigate Sabalan To Threaten US Shores
A frigate is essentially a small ocean-going destroyer. But with anti-ship missiles and a 4.5 in gun, it actually has more anti-ship capability than a Burke-class destroyer which does not have any anti-ship Harpoon missiles, and much more firepower than a LCS which has a very small 57mm (about 2.25 in) forward gun and no anti-ship missiles at all. The Kharg is a tanker/supply ship which has a 76mm gun fitted to it, which should be able to carry supplies so that a small frigate can make a long voyage.
News:
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/02/11/sinking-feeling-iranian-navy-sends-message-with-us-bound-rust-buckets/
News:
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/02/11/sinking-feeling-iranian-navy-sends-message-with-us-bound-rust-buckets/
The commander of Iran’s Northern Navy Fleet said the ships — the frigate Sabalan and Kharg, a supply ship capable of carrying helicopters — began their trip last month from the southern port city Bandar Abbas. Adm. Afshin Rezayee Haddad said the vessels had already entered the Atlantic Ocean near South Africa en route to U.S. maritime borders as part of a three-month mission. Haddad characterized the move as a response to the ongoing presence of the U.S. Navy’s 5th fleet, which is based in Bahrain, across the Persian Gulf.
But the British-built ships, which are reportedly carrying roughly 30 Iranian Navy academy cadets, are not militarily imposing, according to defense experts reached by FoxNews.com.... larger of the two ships, the 679-foot Kharg, is also British-built and can support three helicopters, but poses no real threat. One analyst, Michael Eisenstadt of The Washington Institute, characterized the aging vessels as “rust buckets” with little heft on international waters. Another expert questioned how much of the naval war games really convinces the average Iranian.
Iranian frigate Sabalan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
_1977.jpg) A starboard quarter view of the Iranian frigate ITS Rostam (DE-73), later renamed IS Sabalan (F-73). | |
| Career (Iran) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | IIS Rostam |
| Namesake: | Rostam |
| Ordered: | 1960 |
| Builder: | Vickers, High Walker (hull only)[1] Vickers, Barrow |
| Yard number: | 190 (High Walker)[1] 1079 (Barrow) |
| Launched: | 4 March 1969[1] |
| Commissioned: | 26 May 1972[1] |
| Renamed: | Sabalan, 1985[1] |
| Namesake: | Sabalan mountain |
| Homeport: | Bandar-Abbas |
| Status: | in active service, as of 2014 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | Alvand-class frigate |
| Displacement: | 1,100 tons (1,540 tons full load) |
| Length: | 94.5 m (310 ft) |
| Beam: | 11.07 m (36 ft) |
| Draught: | 3.25 m (10.5 ft) |
| Propulsion: | 2 shafts, 2 Paxman Ventura cruising diesels, 3,800 bhp (2,830 kW), 17 knots (31 km/h) 2 Rolls Royce Olympus TM2 boost gas turbines, 46,000 shp (34,300 kW), 39 knots (72 km/h) |
| Speed: | 39 knots (72 km/h) max |
| Range: | 5,000 nmi (9,000 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h) |
| Complement: | 125-146 |
| Armament: | 4 x C-802 anti-ship missiles 1 × 4.5 inch (114 mm) Mark 8 gun 1 x twin 35 mm AAA, 2 x single 20 mm AAA 2 × 81 mm mortars, 2 × 0.50cal machine guns, 1 x Limbo ASW mortar, 2 x triple 12.75 in torpedo tubes |
Sabalan (in Persian سبلان) is a British-made Vosper Mark V-class (or Alvand-class) frigate in the Iranian Navy.
Commissioned in June 1972 as part of a four-ship order, the Sabalan was originally named IIS Rostam, after Rostam, a legendary hero in theShahnameh, but was renamed after the Islamic revolution for Sabalan, the Iranian mountain.
Contents
[hide]Service history[edit]
During the Iran–Iraq War, the warship became infamous for attacks against the crews of unarmed and often neutral tankers and other merchant ships. Before these attacks, the Sabalan's captain would often board the ships and pretend to carry out a friendly inspection, sometimes even dining with the ship's master. Then he would open fire on the ship, sometimes aiming at the ship's bridge and living spaces. Often, the captain would radio his victims "Have a nice day" as the Sabalan departed. These actions earned the captain the nickname "Captain Nasty".[2]
Following the spillover of the conflict onto the Persian Gulf, the United Statesdeployed warships in 1987 and 1988 to protect reflagged Kuwaiti shipping in the Persian Gulf. During the convoy operations, dubbed Operation Earnest Will, an Iranian mine severely damaged a U.S. frigate. U.S. forces mounted a one-day retaliation called Operation Praying Mantis. The operation's objectives were to destroy two Iranian oil platforms used for drilling and attack coordination and one unspecified Iranian warship. On the morning of April 18, 1988, the oil platforms were knocked out. The U.S. forces then turned to look for Iranian frigates in the Strait of Hormuz, which joins the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. Sabalan's sister frigate Sahand was identified by aircraft from the USS Enterprise and drawn into a fatal engagement. Another group of A-6 Intruders was sent to the reported location of the Sabalan in the strait, where, the frigate fired at the A-6s at 6.17 p.m. (Gulf time). At 6.18 p.m., an A-6 dropped a Mk-82 500 pound laser-guided bomb, which left the Sabalanparalyzed and on fire. At The Pentagon, Defense Secretary Frank Carlucci,Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Adm. William J. Crowe Jr., and U.S. Central Command head Gen. George B. Crist monitored the situation. After discussion, the men decided to spare the moribund Sabalan, perhaps to prevent further escalation.
Iranian forces towed the damaged ship to the port of Bandar-Abbas, and it was eventually repaired and returned to service.[3]
Notes[edit]
References[edit]
- "How to waste a navy". (April 23, 1988). The Economist, p. 41.
- Greeley, Jr., Brendan M. (April 25, 1988). "U.S. Sinks Iranian Frigate In Persian Gulf Action". Aviation Week & Space Technology, p. 20.
- "Carlucci Called Off Attack On Wounded Iranian Ship". (April 21, 1988). The Washington Post, p. A26
- Cushman Jr., John H. (April 27, 1988). "Washington Talk: The Armed Services; Navy Fires a Volley Of Self-Congratulation". The New York Times, p. 22.
- Langston, Captain Bud & Bringle, Lieutenant Commander Don. (1989). "The Air View: Operation Praying Mantis". Proceedings of the US Naval Institute 66, 54-65.
- Richey, Warren. (February 10, 1988). "Aboard HMS Battleaxe in the Gulf". The Christian Science Monitor, p. 1
- "Selected Weapons and Vessels Used Yesterday in the Gulf". (April 19, 1988). The Washington Post, p. A22.
- Peniston, Bradley (2006). No Higher Honor: Saving the USS Samuel B. Roberts in the Persian Gulf. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-661-5. (Describes Sabalan actions in 1988 from the viewpoint of a U.S. frigate operating in the Gulf.)
- Wise, Harold Lee (2007). Inside the Danger Zone: The U.S. Military in the Persian Gulf 1987-88. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.ISBN 1-59114-970-3.
External links[edit]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_ship_Kharg
Iranian ship Kharg
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Career (Iran) | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Kharg |
| Namesake: | Kharg Island |
| Builder: | Swan Hunter, United Kingdom |
| Laid down: | 1976 |
| Launched: | 1977 |
| Acquired: | 1984 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | Ol-class |
| Type: | Replenishment Ship |
| Displacement: | 33,014 tons full load |
| Length: | 207.15 meters |
| Beam: | 9.14 meters |
| Height: | 25.5 meters |
| Propulsion: | 2 x Westinghouse geared turbines rated at 26870 shp |
| Speed: | 21.5 knots |
| Complement: | 248 |
| Crew: | 250 |
| Armament: | supplied without fitted armaments; now equipped with 1 x OTO Melara 76 mm/62 compact gun and 4 x USSR 23 mm/80 guns arranged in two twins |
| Aircraft carried: | 3 helicopters |
The Iranian ship Kharg is a modified Ol-class replenishment oiler of theIslamic Republic of Iran Navy, named after Kharg Island. Built at Swan Hunterin the United Kingdom and launched in 1977, she was delivered to Iran in 1984.
Kharg entered the Suez Canal on 22 February 2011, with the frigate Alvand, on a deployment reported to be a training mission to Latakia, Syria.[1][2][3]
The Kharg entered the Suez Canal again, with one other warship on 18 February 2012, after briefly docking at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.[4]
References[edit]
- ^ BBC News: Two Iranian warships 'enter Suez Canal'
- ^ Ernesto Londoo and Thomas Erdbrink (February 22, 2011). "Iran hails warships' mission in Mediterranean". Washington Post. Retrieved February 22, 2011.
- ^ 'AP Video'
- ^ "Iran warships enter Mediterranean via Suez Canal". February 18, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2012.
Sources[edit]
Ol-class tanker (1965)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
.png) RFA Olmeda | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Ol-class tanker |
| Builders: | Hawthorn Leslie and Company, Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson |
| Operators: |  Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Islamic Republic of Iran Navy |
| Preceded by: | Tide-class replenishment oiler |
| Succeeded by: | Wave-class tanker |
| In service: | 1965 - 2000 |
| Completed: | 4 |
| Active: | 1 |
| Retired: | 3 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | Ol-class tanker |
| Displacement: | 33,240 long tons (33,773 t) full load |
| Length: | 648 ft (198 m) |
| Beam: | 84 ft 2 in (25.65 m) |
| Draught: | 34 ft (10 m) |
| Propulsion: | 2 × PAMETRADA steam turbines, double reduction geared |
| Speed: | 21 kn (24 mph; 39 km/h) |
| Range: | 10,000 nmi (19,000 km) at 16 kn (18 mph; 30 km/h) |
| Complement: | 88 RFA 40 RN |
| Armament: | • 2 × 20 mm guns • 2 × Chaff launchers |
| Aircraft carried: | 3 × Westland Wessex or Westland Sea King helicopters |
The Ol-class tankers were Royal Fleet Auxiliary "fast fleet tankers" tasked with providing fuel, food, fresh water, ammunition and other supplies to Royal Navy vessels around the world. The three ships in the class, RFA Olmeda, RFA Olna and RFA Olwen were an evolution of the earlier Tide class replenishment oilers. The ships were replaced by the Wave class. One modified Ol-class vessel,Kharg, was built for the former Imperial Iranian Navy in 1977. It was delivered to the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy in 1984, and is still active as of 2012.[1]
The lead ship of the class was RFA Olwen, although she was launched as RFA Olynthus, before being renamed in 1967 to avoid confusion with HMS Olympus. Similarly, RFA Olmeda originally entered service as RFA Oleander, but was later renamed to avoid confusion with HMS Leander.
The three ships in the Ol-class saw service in a wide range of locations, including during the Falklands War, which saw Olmeda take part in the recapture of Thule Island, and in the Persian Gulf during the 1990/91 Gulf War.
Construction programme[edit]
| Name | Pennant | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Decommissioned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olwen (ex-Olynthus) | A122 | Hawthorn Leslie and Company, Tyneside | 11 July 1963 | 10 July 1964 | 21 June 1965 | 1999 |
| Olna | A123 | Hawthorn Leslie and Company, Tyneside | 2 July 1964 | 28 July 1965 | 1 April 1966 | 24 September 2000 |
| Olmeda (ex-Oleander) | A124 | Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallend,Tyne and Wear | 27 August 1963 | 19 November 1964 | 18 October 1965 | January 1994 |
References[edit]
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