Shahid Mahdavi is a warship operated by the Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran that is capable of carrying aircraft, missile launchers, and drones. Shahid Mahdavi, originally a Panamax container ship, built by South Korea;[4] is the largest ship operated by IRGC Navy. It is 3 times the size of IRIS Shahid Roudaki (12,0000 tons), the other Expeditionary Sea Base operated by IRGC Navy. The ship was launched in line with the stated aim of IRGC Navy to create an asymmetrical military strategy to disrupt the established order.[5]
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| History | |
|---|---|
 Iran | |
| Name | Shahid Mahdavi |
| Namesake | Nader Mahdavi |
| Operator | Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps |
| Builder | HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd., South Korea[1] |
| Commissioned | 2000 |
| Recommissioned | March 2023 [2] |
| Homeport | Bandar Abbas |
| Identification |
|
| Status | In active service |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | 36,000 t (35,000 long tons; 40,000 short tons) |
| Length | 240 m (787 ft 5 in) |
| Beam | 27 m (88 ft 7 in) |
| Speed | 33 kms/hr |
| Range | 33,000 Kms |
| Complement | 50 |
| Sensors and processing systems | 3D phased array radar, EW Suit |
| Armament | 4 x Nawab air defense missiles, anti-aircraft gun systems, Qadr-474 cruise missiles, Zolfaghar anti-ship ballistic missiles |
| Aircraft carried | Able to carry different types of helicopters (e.g. Mi 17, Bell-412) and different types of drones. [3] |
| Aviation facilities | Helicopter landing deck |
| Notes | can carry Zulfikar submersible torpedo boats type fast attack crafts |
History
editShahid Mahdavi is used for long-range deployments by IRGC Navy. The biggest advantage of this ship is its 150-metre flat deck. The ship was commissioned into service in March 2023 in the presence of IRGC Navy Commander Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri.[6][7] In line with the naming convention of the IRGC the ship is named after a martyr. Shahid Mahdavi or Martyr Mahdavi is named after Nader Mahdavi, an Iranian guardsman killed by the U.S. Navy in 1987 during the Tanker War.[8] The Shahid Mahdavi was deployed for the first time off Gulf of Aden in May 2023. In February 2024, the ship was used to launch two Zolfaghar or Dezful anti-ship ballistic missiles.[9] The ship crossed the Equator for the first time in its latest deployment.[10] The ship was converted from a container ship, formerly known as Sarvin into warship at the ISOICO Shipyard.[11][1]
Description
editShahid Mahdavi has been described as a 'Q-ship'. Q-Ships are commercial ships that were outfitted with weapons, allowing them to ambush weaker ships or submarine during the World Wars.[12] This multipurpose warship is designed specifically for long-range operations and is equipped with missiles, air defense systems, and advanced radar.[10]
References
edit
- ^ a b SARVIN, 6 May 2024, retrieved 17 August 2024
- ^ Iranian Warship Sails Into Southern Hemisphere, 6 May 2024, retrieved 15 August 2024
- ^ "IRGC Navy flexes its long-range threat capabilitye". Retrieved 15 August 2024.
- ^ "IRGC Navy flexes its long-range threat capability". lowyinstitute. 18 July 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
- ^ IRGC's indigenous Shahid Mahdavi warship ventures into Southern Hemisphere, May 2024, retrieved 17 August 2024
- ^ "IRGCN receives new vessels", janes, 13 March 2023, retrieved 15 August 2024
- ^ "IRGC Navy flexes its long-range threat capability". lowyinstitute. 18 July 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
- ^ Ship Expands Iran Revolutionary Guard's Reach to New Waters, 27 May 2022, retrieved 17 August 2024
- ^ Iranian Warship Sails Into Southern Hemisphere, 6 May 2024, retrieved 15 August 2024
- ^ a b IRGC's indigenous Shahid Mahdavi warship ventures into Southern Hemisphere, 4 May 2024, retrieved 17 August 2024
- ^ Iranian Warship Carrier Sails Into Oceanic Waters, Reaching Southern Hemisphere for First Time, 5 June 2024, retrieved 17 August 2024
- ^ "Q-Ships, Easily the Weirdest Warships Ever, Are Back. But They Don't Make Sense in 2024", popularmechanics, 11 July 2020, retrieved 15 August 2024