Overhauled Qadir-Class Submarine Joins Iran’s Naval Fleet

The commander of the Iranian Navy’s factories, Flotilla Admiral Abbas Fazel-Nia, said Wednesday that Iran has been manufacturing Qadir-class submarines for the past few years, adding, “We are among the few countries that have the technology to build all submarine classes.”

He said globally, there are three classes of light, semi-heavy and heavy submarines, adding that the domestically-manufactured submarine falls within the light class.

“The strong point of the Qadir-class is its small size, which cannot be identified or tracked,” he added.

“On the other hand, it can pose a great threat to the enemy by carrying smart torpedoes... (It's) highly capable of destroying enemy” targets, he said, according to Press TV.

He added that the Qadir is a completely indigenous submarine built by the Iranian Navy and the Ministry of Defense, and is scheduled to participate in military drills.

The commander said that building submarines is one of the most advanced sciences in the world, adding that “if a country can build a submarine, it means it has achieved all the sophisticated technology.”

Two Qadir-class submarines capable of launching subsurface-to-surface missiles, torpedoes and mines first joined Iran's naval fleet late in November 2018.

Iran has taken great strides to attain self-sufficiency in producing essential military equipment and defense systems in the face of decades-long sanctions and arms embargoes on the country.

The country has so far launched different classes of domestically-built advanced submarines, including Qadir, Qaem, Nahang, Tareq and Sina.