IRIS Alborz (72)

Alborz (Persian: البرز) is an Alvand-class frigate of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy.

Alborz in 2019
History
Iran
NameZaal
NamesakeZaal
Ordered1960
BuilderVickers, Barrow
Yard number1080[1]
Laid down3 March 1968[1]
Launched4 March 1969[1]
Sponsored byAbbas Aram
Commissioned1 March 1971[1]
RenamedAlborz, 1985[1]
NamesakeAlborz mountain range
HomeportBandar-Abbas
Identification
Statusin active service
General characteristics
Class and typeAlvand-class frigate
Displacement1,100 tons (1,540 tons full load)
Length94.5 m (310 ft 0 in)
Beam11.07 m (36 ft 4 in)
Draught3.25 m (10 ft 8 in)
Propulsion
  • 2 shafts, 2 Paxman Ventura cruising diesels, 3,800 bhp (2,800 kW)
  • 2 Rolls-Royce Olympus TM2 boost gas turbines, 46,000 shp (34,000 kW)
Speed39 knots (72 km/h) max
Range5,000 nmi (9,000 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h)
Complement125-146
Armament
  • 8 × Noor anti-ship missiles
  • 1 × 4.5 inch (114 mm) Mark 8 gun
  • 1 × 30 mm Kamand CIWS
  • 1 x dual 35mm Oerlikon GDF
  • 2 x single 20 mm AAA
  • 2 × 81 mm mortars
  • 2 × 0.50 cal (12.7 mm) machine guns
  • 2 × triple 12.75 in torpedo tubes

The ship was originally called Zaal, named after Zaal, a mythical warrior of ancient Iran (son of Sām and father of Rostam) and an important character in the Shahnameh. After the Islamic Revolution it was renamed Alborz, after the Alborz mountain range.

History

She completed her refit on 15 May 1977 at Portsmouth.[2]

On 1 June 1987 Alborz stopped a large bulk carrier Vevey and searched it for possible war material for Iraq. Although this was within the Iranian captain's right to do so under international law, this became known as the first search-and-seizure of the Iran–Iraq War.[3]

In January 2010 the ship was sent to the Gulf of Aden, to help protect ships from Somali Piracy.

In April 2015, Alborz was deployed along with the supply vessel Bushehr to Yemen.

Judging by recent photographs, it underwent another modernization during which the Iranian six-barrel 30 mm (1.2 in) Kamand anti-aircraft artillery system was installed on it with an opto-electronic system for detecting and tracking targets.[4][5]

See also

Notes
  1. "Zaal (6132432)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
  2. Silverstone, Paul H. (1977), "Naval Intelligence", Warship International, International Naval Research Organization, 14 (4): 284–285, JSTOR 44890143
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 9 December 2006. Retrieved 16 June 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Модернизация иранского фрегата Alborz". 5 December 2019.
  5. "Janes | Latest defence and security news".
Wikimedia Commons has media related to IRIS 72 Alborz (ship, 1971).
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.