Iran launched a new drone carrier vessel on Thursday, that will be added to its Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval force. This is the first of its kind in Iran and second to Turkey's navy.
The new carrier is meant to help Iran launch drones from a relatively close distance toward its enemies and reduce the chances detection of the launch.
Iran launches as drone carrier vessel
The Shahid Beheshti, a former container vessel, is equipped with a 180-metre (590-ft) runway and is able to operate without refuelling for up to one year, Iran's news agency Tasnim said. The ship is different from previous Revolutionary Guards warships because it can launch and retrieve larger drones such as the Qaher, a miniaturised drone version of a local fighter jet as well as helicopters.
Former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant had revealed in the past that Iran intended to transform merchant vessels for military use, which he said would be "floating bases of terror." In a speech he gave in May 2023, Gallant presented a photograph of the Shahid Beheshti. "these vessels are of considerable size, ranging from tens to sometimes hundreds of thousands of tons," he warned. "They are intended to carry various types of combat capabilities, including aircraft, missiles, offensive systems and advanced intelligence, in order to serve as forward terror bases in areas located far from the Iranian border."
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Yoav Gallant presents images of Iranian merchant vessels being used for military means
(Photo: Go-live)
Iran's chief of military staff Mohammad Bagheri and the commander of the IRGC Hossein Salami participated in the launch. "We do not threaten any nation but do not bend in the face of threats," Salami said. "Our achievements are an answer to any threat against Iran and the Muslim nations."
According to a report in Al Jazeera, the new IRGC vessel would be a possible answer for Iran to approach its enemies' territory including Israel.
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Iran has used civilian vessels for military means for a long time. Some have become targets of Israel such as the Saviz which was identified as a covert military ship operated by the IRGC.
In 2021 it was hit by mines that were attached to it and an American official told the New York Times that Israel was behind the attack.