Iran launches first drone carrier to enhance deterrence capacity
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RDA Gulf Correspondent
- . February 7, 2025
- . Update: February 7, 2025 2:43 pm
Iran has launched its first drone-carrier warship, named Shahid Bagheri. Manned by the Revolutionary Guard’s navy, the warship has the potential to operate far from its mainland and can carry several squadrons of drones as well as helicopters and cruise missiles, the official IRNA news agency reported Thursday.
The converted commercial ship is aimed at boosting Iran’s defense capacity. The vessel can travel up to 22,000 nautical miles without the need to refuel in ports and has a 180-meter-long runway for drones, as per the report.
Addressing the launch ceremony, Iran’s Chief of the Guard, Gen. Hossein Salami, said that the warship can travel “independently” in seas for up to one year. “Iran is not considered a threat to any country, but we do not bow before threat by any power,” Salami said.
Chief of the Guard’s navy Adm. Ali Reza Tangsiri also addressed the occasion, highlighting it took more than two years to build the warship from the commercial vessel. The ship is also equipped with a hospital and gym facilities for its crew. In addition, the warship consists of fast-attack boats, uncrewed submarines, and short-range anti-ship cruise missiles.
“The Revolutionary Guards took action to transform a commercial ship… into a mobile naval platform capable of carrying out drone and helicopter missions in the oceans. The addition of this ship to our fleet is an important step in increasing the defence and deterrence capability of Iran in distant waters and in maintaining our national security interests,” Tangsiri said.
