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Seraj-class speedboat

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Seraj-1 is a military speed boat manufactured by Iran.[1][2] It is based on the British made Bradstone Challenger, a Bladerunner 51, which holds the record for the fastest circumnavigation of Britain.[3] 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.[4]

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.[2] Iran created its militarized version of Bladerunner 51, named Seraj-1, in 2010.[5] The designer of Bladerunner, Lorne Campbell, expressed his frustration that Iran had copied his design.[2] Commander of IRGC Naval Force, Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi said that the Seraj-1 will be mass-produced from March 2011 to March 2012.[4] 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.[4] 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."[6]  Seraj-1 also possesses radar-evading capabilities.[7]  The Seraj-1 is equipped with a 107 mm MRLS and bow mounted DShK 12.7 mm HMG.[8]  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.[2]  Consequently, Ahmad Vahidi described the Seraj-1 as, "(A) vessel (which) is a fast and offensive rocket launcher designed for regions with tropical weather."[5]  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).[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Little boat, big danger: how a British-made speedboat has become a weapon in Iran's standoff with the US - Telegraph
  2. ^ a b c d Iran's new super-fast naval gunships – CNN Security Clearance - CNN.com Blogs
  3. ^ Iran buys Bradstone Challenger - but why? | Motorboat news | MBM
  4. ^ a b c Fars News Agency :: Iran to Mass-Produce IRGC's Fastest Speedboat Archived 2012-12-23 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ a b Fars News Agency :: Iran Inaugurates Production Lines of New Vessel, Missile Launcher Archived 2010-08-25 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ tehran times : Iran inaugurates mass production of 2 types of assault boats[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ Islamic Iran Inaugurates Production Lines For Zolfeqar and Seraj Combat Boats (part 3) - YouTube
  8. ^ Uskowi on Iran - اسکویی در باره ایران: Zolfaghar and Seraj-1 High-Speed Combat Boats
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