IRGC Navy receives another batch of attack boats

The 12 missile-armed fast attack craft lined up next to each other during the handover ceremony at the IRGC's naval base in Bandar Abbas. (Young Journalist Club)

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announced on 11 December that 110 attack boats had been delivered to its naval wing in a ceremony attended by its commander, Major General Hossein Salami.

Although only low-quality imagery was released of the event, aerial footage confirmed that 110 boats were lined up for the ceremony at the IRGC Navy's (IRGCN's) base in Bandar Abbas. The majority were types that are already in service, including the rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) known as the Ashoura. Some Ashouras were displayed for the first time fitted with what were identified as launch tubes for torpedoes.

Several new types of fast attack craft armed with anti-ship missiles were also displayed, including four that appeared to be powered by waterjets. Satellite imagery of most of the boats already lined up for the ceremony on 7 December showed these are approximately 14 m long.

There were also 10 missile-armed boats with a length of about 16 m with two surface-piecing propellers powered by inboard motors, making them similar to the ones the IRGCN calls the Zolfaghar and the US Navy refers to as the Peykaap class. Television coverage showed two of the 10 were a different type that are similar to one briefly seen in the coverage of a previous handover in February.

IRGCN commander Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri referred to the missile-armed craft that were handed over as the Tariq and Zolfaghar classes. He said Raad and Nasser vessels were also handed over, as well as various types of Ashoura.