DM: Iran to Unveil Highly Advanced Vessels Soon

(FNA)- Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan announced plans to unveil several highly advanced and giant vessels in the near future.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran's highly advanced and giant vessels will be unveiled soon," Dehqan said, addressing a ceremony in which the country's newly made destroyer, 'Damavand', joined the Iranian fleet of warships in the Caspian Sea on Monday.

He said that a number of other advanced vessels will also be unveiled in coming months.

Stressing the country's determination to make progress and development, Dehqan said, "We have good projects and plans some of which will be unveiled soon."

He also elaborated on the newly-made Damavand destroyer, and said the vessel will be of much help to the neighboring states in maintaining security in the Caspian Sea and can also be used for anti-terrorism and drug campaign operations.

"Damavand bears a message of peace and friendship to the neighbors," Dehqan said.

Damavand joined the country's fleet of warships in the Caspian Sea this morning.

The second-generation and highly-equipped Iranian destroyer joined the country's Northern fleet in a ceremony participated by Brigadier General Dehqan, Secretary of Iran's National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani, Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari and Head of the Self-Sufficiency Jihad Department of the Iranian Navy Rear Admiral Ali Qolamzadeh.

In an interview with FNA on Monday, Qolamzadeh elaborated on the features and specifications of Damavand, and said, "The 7-story destroyer is 90 meters in length and armed with advanced anti-surface and anti-subsurface weapons and air defense systems to defend itself."

Noting that the home-made 'Asr' phased array radar system, capable of detecting and identifying targets with a radar cross section of 4 meters in a 200km distance, has been mounted on the destroyer, he said, "Base-controlled radars, a highly advanced propulsion and command-and-control systems which enjoy high power and capability are only a few of the systems mounted on Damavand destroyer."

Qolamzadeh said in addition to combat operations, Damavand could also be used for training and naval missions, adding that it has been equipped with systems to be used for electronic warfare.

"The operational radius of Damavand is so vast that it can sufficiently be used for all naval missions in the Caspian Sea," he underlined.

In recent years, Iran has made great achievements in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing essential military equipment and systems.

Iranian officials have always stressed that the country's military and arms programs serve defensive purposes and should not be perceived as a threat to any other country.

In September, the Iranian Navy announced plans to launch Damavand in the Caspian Sea.

"Damavand will soon join Iran's naval fleet in the Caspian Sea," the Navy's top commander in Northern Iran Admiral Khordad Hakimi told reporters.

"We have no security problem in the Caspian Sea today," he added, but reiterated that "the Navy is fully prepared to confront any threat".

In February, Sayyari said Iran's warships had been equipped with state-of-the-art technologies, adding that Damavand would join the country's Caspian fleet in March.

"Iranian warships have been equipped with the most advanced technologies," Sayyari told FNA.

Referring to the launch of Iran's home-made Jamaran destroyer in the Southern waters 5 years ago, he said the new generation of the destroyer, Damavand, "will join the naval fleet in the Caspian Sea on March 6 in a ceremony in the presence of high-ranking Iranian officials".

Sayyari had informed in November that Damavand enjoyed more capabilities than the first home-made destroyer, 'Jamaran'.

"The destroyer will be stronger than Jamaran in terms of defensive systems, range and operational range, radar systems, weapons, electronic warfare and communication systems," Sayyari told reporters in Tehran at the time.

He, meantime, announced that the same state-of-the-art systems would be mounted on Jamaran too.

Iran's first home-made destroyer, Jamaran, was launched in late February 2010. The Mowdge Class vessel has a displacement of around 14,000 tons and is equipped with modern radars and electronic warfare capabilities and is armed with a variety of anti-ship, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles.