Iran’s homegrown ‘Sahand’ destroyer entered the Atlantic Ocean for first time on Thursday.
The 1,300-ton vessel named ‘Sahand’ after a mountain in northern Iran, is the country’s most advanced homemade military vessel with radar-evading stealth properties.
It has a helicopter landing pad, is 96 meters long and can cruise at 25 knots. It is equipped with surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles as well as anti-aircraft batteries and sophisticated radar and radar-evading capabilities, according to Mehr news agency.
The destroyer is part of Iranian Navy flotilla that also includes a new sea base-like ship.
Deputy Chief of the Iranian Army for Coordination Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari told reporters on Thursday that the Makran forward base ship and Sahand Destroyer have arrived in the Atlantic Ocean for the first time without any port calls in other countries.
He added that it shows the power and robustness of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Tasnim news agency reported.
Last week, the two vessels were reported to have rounded the Cape of Good Hope, heading toward the Atlantic Ocean.
In recent years, Iran’s naval forces have increased their presence in international waters to secure naval routes and protect merchant vessels and oil tankers against pirates.
Source: Iranian media