IRIS Khanjar (Persian: خنجر, lit.'Dagger') is a Kaman-class fast attack craft in the Southern Fleet of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy.

History
IranIran
NameKhanjar
NamesakeKhanjar
OperatorIslamic Republic of Iran Navy
Ordered14 October 1974
BuilderConstructions de Mécaniques, Cherbourg
Laid down17 January 1977
Launched27 April 1978
Commissioned1 August 1981
StatusIn service
General characteristics (as built)
Class and typeKaman-class fast attack craft
Displacement
  • 249 tons standard
  • 275 tons full load
Length47 m (154 ft 2 in)
Beam7.1 m (23 ft 4 in)
Draft1.9 m (6 ft 3 in)
Installed power4 × MTU 16V538 TB91 diesels, 14,400 brake horsepower (10.7 MW)
Propulsion4 × shafts
Speed36 knots (67 km/h)
Range2,000 miles (3,200 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h); 700 miles (1,100 km) at 33.7 knots (62.4 km/h)
Complement30
Armament
NotesAs reported by Jane's (1979)[1]

Construction and commissioning edit

Neyzeh was built by French Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie at Cherbourg, as one of the second six contracted on 14 October 1974.[2] Her keel was laid down on 17 January 1977 and on 27 April 1978, she was launched.[2] Together with Neyzeh and Tabarzin, Khanjar was delivered in c.1980, but remained at the shipyard due to an embargo in effect by the French government.[3] France decided to release the three,[4] and all were commissioned into the fleet on 1 August 1981.[2]

Service history edit

In 2014, Khanjar and Neyzeh (P231) participated in a joint naval drill with Pakistan Navy in the Gulf of Oman.[5] On 7 September 2016, she was dispatched –as part of the 43rd flotilla, along with her sister Falakhon (P226), amphibious vessel Lavan (514) and support ship Konarak (1403)– to secure international waters sailed by Iranian commercial ships,[6] and on 28 September, she arrived in Karachi, Pakistan for a three-day port visit.[7] She made another call to the same port on 10 October 2018, this time with Neyzeh (P231) and Bushehr (422),[8] while deployed for an anti-piracy mission to the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden.[5] The ship was modernized in 2017–2021.[9]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Moore, John, ed. (1979). Jane's Fighting Ships 1979–80. London: Jane's Yearbooks. p. 256. ISBN 0-354-00587-1.
  2. ^ a b c Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen; Budzbon, Przemysaw, eds. (1996), "Iran", Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995, Conway Maritime Press, pp. 183–188, ISBN 978-1557501325
  3. ^ Silverstone, Paul H. (1980), "Naval Intelligence", Warship International, 17 (4), International Naval Research Organization: 360, JSTOR 44869324
  4. ^ Silverstone, Paul H. (1981), "Naval Intelligence", Warship International, 18 (4), International Naval Research Organization: 316–319, JSTOR 44890858
  5. ^ a b Nadimi, Farzin (April 2020), "Iran's Evolving Approach to Asymmetric Naval Warfare: Strategy and Capabilities in the Persian Gulf" (PDF), The Washington Institute for Near East Policy (Policy Focus), no. 164, Appendix E: IRIN's Long-range Task Forces And Naval Visits Abroad, pp. 64–74, archived from the original (PDF) on 4 May 2020, retrieved 15 July 2020
  6. ^ "Naval Flotilla Dispatched to High Seas", Financial Tribune, 7 September 2016, retrieved 5 August 2020
  7. ^ "Iranian Navy ships arrive in Karachi", The Express Tribune, 28 September 2016, retrieved 5 August 2020
  8. ^ "Iran's 57th naval flotilla docks in Pakistan", Iranian Students' News Agency, 10 October 2018, retrieved 5 August 2020
  9. ^ "Optimized Corvettes Join Iran's Southern Fleet - Politics news".