According to information published by Tasnim News Agency on March 9, 2023, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy received new vessels including the drone carrier Shahid Mahdavi in a ceremony held in Bandar Abbas, a southern port city in Iran.
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Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy's drone carrier Shahid Mahdavi. (Picture source: Irib news)
The ceremony was attended by senior officials, including IRGC Commander Major General Hossein Salami and IRGC Navy Commander Rear Admiral Ali Reza Tangsiri.
The Shahid Mahdavi is a multi-purpose heavy warship that weighs over 2,100 tons and is 240 meters long and 27 meters wide. It has a 3-dimensional phased array radar, sea-to-sea and sea-to-air missiles, and advanced communication systems for electronic warfare. It is capable of carrying various types of helicopters, drones, and speedboats.
The other vessels that joined the IRGC Navy fleet were upgraded versions of Ashura and Tareq classes. They can launch rockets with a range of 100 to 180 kilometers and have high maneuverability to perform missions in different weather conditions. Iranian officials have emphasized that the country's military capabilities are solely for defensive purposes.
