Iran navy produces armed copy of Bladerunner 51 speedboat

[ErnstBlofeld]

The Telegraph:

 

senior commander said Iran would arm the copy vessel with missiles and torpedoes as it continues to build its military presence in the Strait of Hormuz.

 

General Ali Fadavi of the Revolutionary Guards's navy, told AFP: "The Bladerunner is a British ship that holds the world speed record. We got a copy [on which] we made some changes so it can launch missiles and torpedoes.

 

"The Revolutionary Guards will be equipped with many” of them within a year, he said at a ceremony marking the delivery of 12 other speed boats equipped with missiles and torpedoes to the Guards.

 

The Bladerunner 51, weighing 16 tonnes and 15.5 metres (45 feet) long is manufactured at the ICE Marine shipyard in Britain and can reach a maximum speed of 65 knots.

 

The boat, powered by two 1,000-horsepower engines, reportedly conducted in 2005 a tour of the British Isles in a little more than 27 hours at an average speed of 63 knots.

 

IIn late 2005, it smashed the Round Britain World Record in 27hrs and 10mins at an average speed of 63.5mph, proving its astounding offshore capabilities.

 

General Fadavi did not fully explain how Iran managed to get a copy of the boat, only saying it had come "via South Africa."

 

He said a US ship had tried to intercept the boat before it entered Iranian waters 18 months ago, but added Iranian forces protected it and ensured its arrival.

 

Fadavi further warned that "in case of a conflict we will be everywhere and nowhere to face the enemies," recalling that Iran controls the strategic Strait of Hormuz through which 40 percent of world's seaborne oil supplies pass.

 

In recent weeks Iranian military officials have stepped up their warnings against any attack on the Islamic republic.

 

The United States and Israel have not ruled out a military strike against Iran to stop its controversial nuclear programme.

 

Iranian leaders have also repeatedly warned Tehran would retaliate against any attempt by Western countries to inspect its vessels, as set out in the latest sanctions the UN Security Council adopted on June 9.

 

Iran last weekend took delivery of four new mini-submarines of the home-produced Ghadir class. Weighing 120 tonnes, the “stealth” submarines are aimed at operations in shallow waters, notably in the Gulf.

 

[Al_Simmons]

Well, its an impressive speed, but no match for a radar-guided Mach 2 missile. I think the Iranians are in for a rude shock if they think that their boats will get within firing range of one of our task forces.

 

This isn't WW2. However, were the Iranians to use these ships against commercial shipping in order to block the Gulf, that would be a problem. And for at least 2 more years we would not have the will (nor the desire) to do much about it either.

 

First the Islamist-sympathizer needs to be voted out ...

[ErnstBlofeld]

Well, its an impressive speed, but no match for a radar-guided Mach 2 missile. I think the Iranians are in for a rude shock if they think that their boats will get within firing range of one of our task forces.

 

This isn't WW2. However, were the Iranians to use these ships against commercial shipping in order to block the Gulf, that would be a problem. And for at least 2 more years we would not have the will (nor the desire) to do much about it either.

 

First the Islamist-sympathizer needs to be voted out ...

 

The goal of the U.S. Navy is identify where these boats are based and then when the time comes to put them out of business. This includes the coastal missile batteries(C-802) which equally pose a danger. The Iranians would not hesitate to use them against commercial shipping.

[Valin]

Well, its an impressive speed, but no match for a radar-guided Mach 2 missile. I think the Iranians are in for a rude shock if they think that their boats will get within firing range of one of our task forces.

 

This isn't WW2. However, were the Iranians to use these ships against commercial shipping in order to block the Gulf, that would be a problem.

 

The goal of the U.S. Navy is identify where these boats are based and then when the time comes to put them out of business. This includes the coastal missile batteries(C-802) which equally pose a danger. The Iranians would not hesitate to use them against commercial shipping.

 

 

Thanks gentlemen.

 

Al_Simmons

Great minds think alike.

[AceRimmer]

One thing I remember from '87 was that during the Iran-Iraq War, the Iranians(I don't remember but the Iraqis may have done so as well) were putting mines in the Straight of Hormuz. The US Navy went in to keep the gunboats away from commercial ships and realized that despite all of the neat and cool new ships Reagan gave them, they didn't have a single minesweeper in the most powerful navy in the world.

 

IIRC, they had to borrow some from the Brits or another NATO nation. Hopefully, they've rectified this situation, because if you take out these coastal missiles, speedboats, and mini-subs, which I'm sure the USN and IDF have already planned for, the next Iranian gambit will be mining the Straight, again.