Iran’s Ghadir Submarines Pose a Hidden Threat to the United States
Iran’s Ghadir-class and other submarines play a strategic role in the country’s national security.
Iran kicked off a joint military exercise over the weekend, showcasing its naval capabilities. During Zulfiqar 1403, Tehran’s Tariq, Fateh, and Ghadir submarines allegedly launched a new oxygen torpedo. If this launch was carried out successfully as Iranian-state media has claimed, it would indicate the operational readiness and increasing advancement of the country’s submarine force. Notably, Iran’s underwater fleet represents the most numerous and technically formidable arm of its navy.
Iran’s maritime power ambitions are causes for concern. Iran and its regional proxy groups, including the Houthis in Yemen, have launched missiles and deployed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to strike commercial ships and other vessels passing through the Red Sea. Since Tehran has shown it is willing and capable of disrupting the global trade system as much of the world’s crude oil supply passes through those waters, its prioritization of its naval prowess will only increase.
Introducing the Ghadir-class submarines
Iran’s fleet of Ghadir-class submarines poses a tactical challenge to the United States and the regime’s other adversaries. Recent reports estimate that Tehran possesses around twenty-three Ghadir vessels. These mini-submarines run on diesel-electric propulsion and are capable of firing torpedoes and missiles. Designated as a sub-class to the North Korean Yono-class submarines, the Ghadir boats are largely derived from North Korean technology. While the Ghadir mini-subs are not as capable as their Kilo-class successors, these boats still make the United States nervous. Since these vessels are designed to cruise the shallow waters of the Persian Gulf and possess small surface displacements of roughly 117 tons, these tiny subs are difficult to detect. The Ghadir submarines can operate in the Strait of Hormuz despite the waterway’s extremely shallow terrain.
According to the Strauss Center, “The water [of the Strait] provides noisy background conditions that help cover up the sound of a submarine, but the shallow waters make the submarine more likely to be visually identified from the air or surface of the water. The confined waters and strong currents of the Gulf make the Strait of Hormuz an extremely hazardous place for even experienced submariners.” Since the Ghadir-class is so small, enemy submarines will often fail to detect the subs, even in these shallow waters.
Introducing the Kilo-class submarines
Iran currently operates three Soviet-designed Kilo-class submarines. These Cold War-era vessels were designed to perform anti-surface warfare in coastal waters in addition to anti-submarine warfare. The Kilo submarines are notably capable of detecting adversarial vessels at a range three to four times greater than the sub itself could be detected. While the Kilo-class boats are technically more advanced than their Ghadir counterparts, these submarines are unable to sail in nearly two-thirds of the Gulf due to their greater depth requirements. Each of Iran’s three Kilo-class subs possesses six 533mm tubes for torpedoes and can additionally lay mines.
Tehran’s advancing naval fleet certainly plays a strategic role in the country’s national security. The regime is counting on the presence of its submarines in the Persian Gulf to serve as a deterrent against foreign naval presence in the critical waterway.
Source » msn
