Iranian frigate Alvand

A port view of the Iranian frigate Alvand
History
Iran
Name: IIS Saam
Namesake: Sām
Operator: Islamic Republic of Iran Navy
Ordered: 1960
Builder: Vosper Thornycroft, Woolston[1]
Yard number: 1080[1]
Laid down: 3 March 1968[1]
Launched: 25 July 1968[1]
Commissioned: May 1971[1]
Renamed: Alvand, 1985[1]
Namesake: Alvand mountain range
Homeport: Bandar-Abbas
Status: in active service
General characteristics
Class and type: Alvand-class frigate
Displacement: 1,100 tons (1,540 tons full load)
Length: 94.5 m (310 ft 0 in)
Beam: 11.07 m (36 ft 4 in)
Draught: 3.25 m (10.7 ft)
Propulsion:
  • 2 shafts, 2 Paxman Ventura cruising diesels, 2,800 kW (3,800 bhp)
  • 2 Rolls Royce Olympus TM2 boost gas turbines, 34,000 kW (46,000 shp)
Speed: 39 knots (72 km/h; 45 mph) max
Range: 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement: 125-146
Armament:
  • 4 × C-802 anti-ship missiles
  • 1 × 4.5 inch (114 mm) Mark 8 gun
  • 1 × twin 35 mm AAA, 3 x single 20 mm AAA
  • 2 × 81 mm mortars
  • 2 × 0.50 cal machine guns
  • 1 × Limbo ASW mortar
  • 2 × triple 12.75 in torpedo tubes

Iranian frigate Alvand (Persian: الوند‎‎), a British-made Vosper Mark V class frigate (also known as the Alvand class), was commissioned in 1971 as part of a four-ship order and is the lead ship of the class and flagship of the Iranian Navy.

The ship was originally called Saam, named after the Saam class (which is named after Sām, a mythical hero of ancient Persia, and an important character in the Shahnameh) as it was the lead-ship. But after the Islamic Revolution the class was renamed to Alvand class, after the Alvand mountain-chain and so this ship, being the lead ship was renamed Alvand.

The ship is rarely seen outside the Persian Gulf, although it did join the Indian Navy's 'Bridges of Friendship', held in Bombay on 17 February 2001 to celebrate India's 50th anniversary as republic where in 60 Indian vessels and 24 foreign vessels (including Alvand) participated. Alvand appeared to be in good state despite being thirty years old.[2] In 2010 it participated in the 60th anniversary of the Sri Lanka Navy.

Alvand entered the Suez Canal on 22 February 2011, with the supply vessel Kharg, on a deployment reported to be a training mission to Latakia, Syria.[3][4] In October 2016, Alvand and Buseshr were deployed to the Gulf of Aden, off Yemen.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Saam (6126554)"Paid subscription required. Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
  2. ↑ Bharat Rakshak Monitor Volume 3(5) Archived February 2, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ "Two Iranian warships 'enter Suez Canal'". BBC News. 22 February 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  4. ↑ Londono, Ernesto; Erdbrink, Thomas (22 February 2011). "Iran hails warships' mission in Mediterranean". Washington Post. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  5. ↑ "Iran deploys warships off Yemen coast in the Gulf of Aden: Tasnim". Reuters. 13 October 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.



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