Iranian frigate Sabalan
_1977.jpg) A starboard quarter view of the Iranian frigate ITS Rostam (DE-73), later renamed IS Sabalan (F-73). | |
| Career (Iran) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | IIS Rostam |
| Namesake: | Rostam |
| Ordered: | 1960 |
| Builder: |
Vickers, High Walker (hull only)[1] Vickers, Barrow |
| Yard number: |
190 (High Walker)[1] 1079 (Barrow) |
| Launched: | 4 March 1969[1] |
| Commissioned: | 26 May 1972[1] |
| Renamed: | Sabalan, 1985[1] |
| Namesake: | Sabalan mountain |
| Homeport: | Bandar-Abbas |
| Status: | in active service, as of 2014 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | Alvand-class frigate |
| Displacement: | 1,100 tons (1,540 tons full load) |
| Length: | 94.5 m (310 ft) |
| Beam: | 11.07 m (36 ft) |
| Draught: | 3.25 m (10.5 ft) |
| Propulsion: |
2 shafts, 2 Paxman Ventura cruising diesels, 3,800 bhp (2,830 kW), 17 knots (31 km/h) 2 Rolls Royce Olympus TM2 boost gas turbines, 46,000 shp (34,300 kW), 39 knots (72 km/h) |
| Speed: | 39 knots (72 km/h) max |
| Range: | 5,000 nmi (9,000 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h) |
| Complement: | 125-146 |
| Armament: |
4 x C-802 anti-ship missiles 1 × 4.5 inch (114 mm) Mark 8 gun 1 x twin 35 mm AAA, 2 x single 20 mm AAA 2 × 81 mm mortars, 2 × 0.50cal machine guns, 1 x Limbo ASW mortar, 2 x triple 12.75 in torpedo tubes |
Sabalan (in Persian سبلان) is a British-made Vosper Mark V-class (or Alvand-class) frigate in the Iranian Navy.
Commissioned in June 1972 as part of a four-ship order, the Sabalan was originally named IIS Rostam, after Rostam, a legendary hero in the Shahnameh, but was renamed after the Islamic revolution for Sabalan, the Iranian mountain.
Service history
During the Iran–Iraq War, the warship became infamous for attacks against the crews of unarmed and often neutral tankers and other merchant ships. Before these attacks, the Sabalan's captain would often board the ships and pretend to carry out a friendly inspection, sometimes even dining with the ship's master. Then he would open fire on the ship, sometimes aiming at the ship's bridge and living spaces. Often, the captain would radio his victims "Have a nice day" as the Sabalan departed. These actions earned the captain the nickname "Captain Nasty".[2]
Following the spillover of the conflict onto the Persian Gulf, the United States deployed warships in 1987 and 1988 to protect reflagged Kuwaiti shipping in the Persian Gulf. During the convoy operations, dubbed Operation Earnest Will, an Iranian mine severely damaged a U.S. frigate. U.S. forces mounted a one-day retaliation called Operation Praying Mantis. The operation's objectives were to destroy two Iranian oil platforms used for drilling and attack coordination and one unspecified Iranian warship. On the morning of April 18, 1988, the oil platforms were knocked out. The U.S. forces then turned to look for Iranian frigates in the Strait of Hormuz, which joins the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. Sabalan's sister frigate Sahand was identified by aircraft from the USS Enterprise and drawn into a fatal engagement. Another group of A-6 Intruders was sent to the reported location of the Sabalan in the strait, where, the frigate fired at the A-6s at 6.17 p.m. (Gulf time). At 6.18 p.m., an A-6 dropped a Mk-82 500 pound laser-guided bomb, which left the Sabalan paralyzed and on fire. At The Pentagon, Defense Secretary Frank Carlucci, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Adm. William J. Crowe Jr., and U.S. Central Command head Gen. George B. Crist monitored the situation. After discussion, the men decided to spare the moribund Sabalan, perhaps to prevent further escalation.
Iranian forces towed the damaged ship to the port of Bandar-Abbas, and it was eventually repaired and returned to service.[3]
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Rostam (6126628)". Miramar Ship Index. http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz. Retrieved 9 December 2009. (subscription required)
- ↑ Lee Wise, Harold: Inside the Danger Zone: The U.S. Military in the Persian Gulf, 1987-1988
- ↑ L. Symonds, Craig: Decision at Sea: Five Naval Battles That Shaped American History
References
- "How to waste a navy". (April 23, 1988). The Economist, p. 41.
- Greeley, Jr., Brendan M. (April 25, 1988). "U.S. Sinks Iranian Frigate In Persian Gulf Action". Aviation Week & Space Technology, p. 20.
- "Carlucci Called Off Attack On Wounded Iranian Ship". (April 21, 1988). The Washington Post, p. A26
- Cushman Jr., John H. (April 27, 1988). "Washington Talk: The Armed Services; Navy Fires a Volley Of Self-Congratulation". The New York Times, p. 22.
- Langston, Captain Bud & Bringle, Lieutenant Commander Don. (1989). "The Air View: Operation Praying Mantis". Proceedings of the US Naval Institute 66, 54-65.
- Richey, Warren. (February 10, 1988). "Aboard HMS Battleaxe in the Gulf". The Christian Science Monitor, p. 1
- "Selected Weapons and Vessels Used Yesterday in the Gulf". (April 19, 1988). The Washington Post, p. A22.
- Peniston, Bradley (2006). No Higher Honor: Saving the USS Samuel B. Roberts in the Persian Gulf. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-661-5. (Describes Sabalan actions in 1988 from the viewpoint of a U.S. frigate operating in the Gulf.)
- Wise, Harold Lee (2007). Inside the Danger Zone: The U.S. Military in the Persian Gulf 1987-88. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-970-3.
External links
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