The following report is a complimentary offering from the MEMRI Iran Threat Monitor Project (ITMP). For more information, write to memri@memri.org with "ITMP Subscription" in the subject line.
On September 5, 2022, Channel 2 (Iran) aired a report about a recently-launched 67-meter-long IRGC Navy patrol ship called the Martyr Soleimani. According to the report, the Martyr Soleimani is the first Iranian vessel made with a non-corrosive aluminum alloy hull instead of a steel hull, and its catamaran design and unusual angles give it the radar signature of a small yacht. The report featured a brief interview with IRGC Navy Commander Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, and said that the ship features a helicopter pad and classified defense systems that include vertically-launched anti-aircraft missiles, enabling the vessel to provide anti-air cover for missile-bearing speedboats.
The report compared the 'Martyr Soleimani' to trimaran boats used by the U.S. Navy, and said that Iran is one of only three countries in the world to have a vessel of this type. In addition, the reporter said that the ship has been deployed with the IRGC Navy's southern fleet, that U.S. CENTCOM has admitted that Iran has air superiority in the Persian Gulf, and that this makes Iran the "ultimate power in the region."
For more information about Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, see MEMRI TV clips nos. 9294, 8748, 8316, 7416, 7213, and 7190.
To view the Iranian TV report about the new IRGC Navy ship click here or below:
"The 'Martyr Soleimani' Patrol Ship Is Charged With Defending [Iran's] Territorial Waters, [And] Is Similar To America's Trimaran [Boats]"
Reporter: "This is an IRGC helicopter in the Persian Gulf, today. IRIB's news agency was invited here by the commander of the IRGC Navy."
Admiral Alireza Tangsiri: "This is the Martyr Soleimani battleship that I promised [to show] you earlier."
Reporter: "This patrol ship, or frigate, is named after the martyr [Qasem] Soleimani, and it is the Islamic Republic's first ship with a hull made of aluminum alloy rather than steel. This metal does not react with oxygen in the wet sea conditions – it does not oxidize. In other words, the ship's hull is non-corrosive.
"Only three countries have built a ship of this class, with a body length of 67 meters. This kind of vessel is called a catamaran. In other words, this vessel has two parallel hulls, and according to the commander of the IRGC Navy, it can consolidate its naval combat capability.
"The Martyr Soleimani patrol ship, which is charged with defending our territorial waters, is similar to America's trimaran [boats]. It carries out the same duties.
The Ship Uses "Vertically-Fired Anti-Aircraft Missile Systems", Carries Missiles With 300 KM Range
"The hull materials and broken angles in these two vessels distort radar detection. If a radar detects this battleship, it may identify it as a small yacht. Obviously, the defense systems of this battleship remain classified, and we have no further information about them."
Tangsiri: "It has two types of anti-aircraft missiles: Eight missiles for low altitudes..."
Reporter: "The Martyr Soleimani frigate is the first of the Islamic Republic's battleships to use vertically-fired anti-aircraft missile systems. These provide cover and guidance to the speedboats.
"These boats sail at a speed exceeding 170 kilometers per hour, and they carry missiles with a range of 300 kilometers. At sea, this battleship provides them with an anti-aircraft umbrella."
[...]
Tangsiri: "The missiles that are on it now have a range of 300 kilometers."
"Recently, The IRGC Navy Was Ordered To Show Its Presence In Faraway Seas; This Is The Beginning Of An Endless Path"
Reporter: "This battleship was added to the IRGC Navy's southern fleet. For about a year now, America has had no aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf, and CENTCOM has declared that Iran has obtained aerial superiority. This means that we are the ultimate power in the region. Recently, the IRGC Navy was ordered to show its presence in faraway seas. This is the beginning of an endless path for the IRGC Navy."
