WANA (Nov 24) – Admiral Shahram Irani, the Commander of the Iranian Navy, has announced a significant enhancement in the cruise missile capabilities of the “Sabalan” destroyer, which had already held the record among naval vessels for carrying the most cruise missiles.

 

According to Admiral Irani, the Sabalan destroyer has undergone extensive upgrades, increasing its capabilities by fourfold in terms of missile range and diversity compared to its original configuration. With these upgrades, the destroyer is now equipped with 16 anti-ship cruise missiles, a significant increase from the 12 missiles it carried last year. This enhanced firepower is expected to greatly enhance the vessel’s operational capabilities. The new configuration will be unveiled soon.

 

The Sabalan, hull number 73, belongs to the Alvand-class destroyers, originally procured from the United Kingdom before the Islamic Revolution and initially named “Rustam.” The vessel sustained heavy damage during the Iran-Iraq War, particularly in a confrontation with the U.S. Navy in the Persian Gulf. However, Iranian specialists later repaired it, bringing it back into service.

 

Previously, the 1,500-ton Sabalan was armed with four Ghader and Qader anti-ship cruise missiles and participated in over 13 naval flotillas. In a historic mission, the Sabalan, alongside the Kharg logistical vessel as part of the 24th naval flotilla, ventured into the Pacific Ocean for the first time. The flotilla traversed the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal, the Strait of Malacca, and the South China Sea, covering 13,000 kilometers over 40 days. It docked at China’s Zhanjiang Port and made a stop at Sri Lanka’s Colombo Port on its return journey.

 

A notable incident during this mission occurred in the Strait of Malacca when the Iranian flotilla encountered the U.S. destroyer DDG-106. Admiral Sayyari, then the Iranian Navy Commander, recounted the exchange:

 

“When our flotilla entered the Pacific Ocean, the nearby American destroyer asked, ‘What are you doing here?’ Our commander responded, ‘What are you doing here? This region is closer to us than to you.’ The American vessel, seeing the resolute response, changed its tone and asked more calmly about our destination. Our commander replied, ‘We are sailing.’ The Americans then cautioned us about adverse weather conditions in the Pacific, to which our commander confidently replied, ‘We are men of the rough seas.'”

 

In July 2022, during a naval exercise in the Caspian Sea, images surfaced of the Sina missile-launching vessel equipped with eight cruise missiles. Later that year, Admiral Irani announced the upgrade of the Navy’s destroyers to carry eight anti-ship missiles, beginning with the Sahand destroyer.

 

Cruise missiles derive their name from their flight trajectory, where most of their journey occurs in a cruising phase. Long-range variants often resemble aircraft in design, allowing them to fly on varied and indirect paths. These missiles, especially anti-ship types, can skim just a few meters above the water’s surface, or for land-attack variants, fly under 20 meters above terrain. This low-altitude capability helps evade enemy sensors.

 

Advanced systems for terrain recognition, altitude determination, and navigation are used in land-attack cruise missiles, while anti-ship variants use radar or imaging sensors for target locking. Cruise missiles are categorized by speed: subsonic (below Mach 1), supersonic (Mach 1 to 5), and hypersonic (above Mach 5). Iran has recently gained recognition for advancements in the hypersonic domain.