Recent satellite images have revealed that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Navy (IRGC-N) has 100 new naval vessels to existing equipment they have now.
According to Intel, the Revolutionary Guard Corps' Navy has added 112 fast attack boats recently on May 28. Identification using images of a parade reveal how many and what equipment was on the show, reported in Forbes.
Upon checking all the images available, they showed an estimate of 100 vessels wherein one is on the water and 99 others were all arrayed in the parade.
Types of vessels were 9 missile boats, four of them were Chinese-designed 'C-14' catamarans, North Korean-derived 'Zolfa qhar,' and four that is a new model. At an inspection, the new variant is similar to Zolfaqhar, but smaller in most aspects. All of them will carry anti-ship missiles that are light enough to be mounted on them. Smaller boats work with tactics for swarming, especially tankers and nonmilitary vessels.
One of their most advanced units is an unmanned mini-sub, it is called an Extra-Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (XLUUV) that is Navy terms. The Iranian UUV is bigger than other similar undersea vehicles, but its closest approximation is Boeing Orca for the US Navy, Manta that will be part of the Royal Navy.
Overall the Revolutionary Guard UUV will be less advanced, but it might be an advantage, not a shortcoming. These vehicles will help in carrying out secret missions in the Gulf of Persia.
Along with UUV, there were two swimmer delivery vehicles (SDVs), termed as wet submarines which require personnel to suit up with diving gear when using it. These vehicles are similar to the ones used by the US Navy SEALs that are called SEAL Delivery Vehicles. The one used by the Revolutionary Guard is smaller than the Al-Sabehat 15 SDV, used by the Iranian SBS (Special Boat Service), but is not that new, mentioned in Military.
Other vehicles were 38 gunboats that are armed with multi-launch rockets, that is used to directly shoot them into the hull. Rigid inflatable boat (RIB) were armed with rocket launchers as well, add up smaller interceptor boats that have machine guns as the main armament.
Of the boats, only 32 were rigid-inflatable boats (RIBs) which can have a loadout of machine guns and anti-ship rockets, the specialty of Sepah Navy Special Forces. These boats will be specialized for boarding civilian ships. One example is when seizing a tanker in the Gulf.
Not all were exposed in the parade with five boats that were not identified and an unknown type. Most were covered with tarps, giving the distinct shape of the smallest missile boats in all probability.
In their inventory were three unusual types of boats, three of them were Bavar 2 wings-in-ground-effect (WIG) flying boats, which was first seen in 2010. What a Bavar does is flown low that produces lift and less drag, but these planes are not clear what they are for. No discernable weapon can get mounted what are they for.
The evidence points out they are new, but many of these are only of limited capability.
All the 100 new Iran naval vessels are not warships, but part of non-traditional "asymmetrical" warfare. The IRGC-N used these vessels to harass and be aggressive as part of their operations. All the new vessels have capacities in how the will be used.
