Iran has plans to equip the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) with light and semi-heavy domestically-developed submarines, Head of the Marine Industries Organization of the Ministry of Defense and Logistics of the Armed Forces Rear-Admiral Amir Rastegari said on Monday.
Speaking to IRNA, Rastegari said that the manufacturing of these submarines will begin this year so that the IRGC will have submarines within the next few years as like as the Iranian Navy.
He said that the reliance of the Iranian armed forces on the foreign countries in the marine industry has declined from 70% to 20% today.
The Marine Industries Organization manufactures different vessels for the Navy, IRGC and the Coast Guard Police, the official said.
He said that the organization, for instance, makes rapid boats for the IRGC naval force which highly relies on rapid boats.
Rastegari noted that in order to be able to protect the country’s interests at the sea, one country will need to develop powerful naval forces.
He said that the IRGC is responsible for protecting the Persian Gulf waters up to the Strait of Hormuz, and the Iranian Navy is responsible for protecting eastern parts of the Strait of Hormuz to the Sea of Oman and the north of the Indian Ocean, while the Coast Guard Police protects the territorial waters.
Source: IRNA
