Military speed boat
Seraj-1 is a military speed boat that is used by Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps. It is based on the British made Bradstone Challenger, a Bladerunner 51, which holds the record for the fastest circumnavigation of Britain.[1] Militarized speed boats have been the core of the Iranian military doctrine since their commanders believe that speed boats can counter the USA's massive warships.[2]
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كارتون سراج - الحلقة الأولى (حرف الهمزة) | (Siraj Cartoon - Episode 1 (Arabic Letters
History
Sales of Bladerunner 51 were blocked to Iran by the west; however, in 2009, Iran managed to obtain one from a South African arms dealer.[3] Iran created its militarized version of Bladerunner 51, named Seraj-1, in 2010.[4] The designer of Bladerunner, Lorne Campbell, expressed his frustration that Iran had copied his design.[3] Commander of IRGC Naval Force, Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi said that the Seraj-1 will be mass-produced from March 2011 to March 2012.[2] Fadavi has also announced that Iran's navy aims to increase the speed of the militarized boats to 80-85 knots in the near future, and even up to 100 knots thereafter.[2] These planned speed boats would most probably be named Seraj-2, Seraj-3 etc., since boats with that speed and the stability to carry weapons would depend on the Seraj-1 design.
Specification
Defence minister Ahmad Vahidi has stated that "Seraj-1, with a fiberglass bodywork, can shoot rockets and it is equipped with an electronic navigation system."[5] Seraj-1 also possesses radar-evading capabilities.[6] The Seraj-1 is equipped with a 107 mm MRLS and bow mounted DShK 12.7 mm HMG.[7] An advantage of the Seraj-1 is that, just like the Bladerunner 51, it is very stable at high speeds in rough seas, thereby creating a stable platform to fire weapons.[3] Consequently, Ahmad Vahidi described the Seraj-1 as, "(A) vessel (which) is a fast and offensive rocket launcher designed for regions with tropical weather."[4] As it is based on the Bladerunner 51, the Seraj-1 is probably capable of speeds between 55 knots (63 mph) and 72 knots (83 mph).[8]
References
This page was last edited on 4 August 2023, at 07:37
Ship classes of the Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps