Iran may soon replenish its fleet with a new and very specific ship. It is drone carrier, which has been under construction since the spring of 2022.
We are talking about Shahid Bagheri, that according to new photos, posted by Iranian Naval Force unofficial account on X, has already received a flight deck coating.
Read more: Ukraine Questions russia’s Motives Behind New Crimean Bridge Structure
Works on it started in early summer. This is evidenced by a photo published on June 8. It should be noted that the carrier was tentatively launched in the summer of 2023.
It should be noted that such speed of work is due to the fact that this ship is being converted from a civilian Perarin (or Sarvin) container ship. At the same time, Iranian shipbuilders decided to keep the original superstructure design, but placed the flight deck at an angle.
Thus, the total length of the runway is 170 meters while its width is one meter. An additional helipad is located behind the superstructure.
But the work was not limited to. There should be hangars for UAVs, storage facilities for weapons, fuel, work and rest rooms for the crew, etc under the upper deck. In other words, we are talking about rather large-scale work on the creation of a warship.
Moreover, Shahid Bagheri will be the first representative of a new class that may be called a drone carrier. Although the awarding of this name to an Iranian ship is controversial. After all, Turkey already has Anadolu light aircraft carrier for Kizılma and Bayraktar TB3 drones. But the fact is that it was built on the basis of the Spanish Juan Carlos I project as well as was designed to accommodate 12 F-35B fighters.
At the same time, Shahid Bagheri is being built for UAVs from the very beginning. But what kind of drones it will carry remains unknown. It can be expected that strike and reconnaissance UAVs such as Mohajer-6 and Shahed 129 will be adapted for it, as well as specialized drones will be created.
Earlier Defense Express reported that Iran had presented its weapons at Armiya forum in russia.
Read more: Power of Cope: russians Made a 180-Feet Wooden Submarine Dummy Instead of Sunken Rostov-na-Donu
