‘Velayat-97’: Iran launches cruise missile from submarine for the first time

TEHRAN – Iran has launched a cruise missile from a submarine for the first time during an ongoing annual three-day military drill in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian media reported Sunday.

The semi-official Fars news agency reported the launch and released an image showing a green Fateh submarine on the surface of the water launching an orange missile. It said other submarines have the same capability. It did not detail the missile’s range.

https://twitter.com/CavasShips/status/1099067517786644481

Tehran had announced the launch of the Fateh submarine (Farsi for “Conqueror”) earlier this month. It said Fateh was the country’s first submarine in the semi-heavy category, and the first capable of firing cruise missiles.

Submarines, warships, helicopters and surveillance planes participated in the three-day drill, dubbed “Velayat-97,” which concludes later Sunday. On Saturday, Iran launched surface-to-surface missiles.

Navy chief Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi said “The exercise will cover confronting a range of threats, testing weapons, and evaluating the readiness of equipment and personnel,” in remarks on state television translated by Reuters.

“Submarine missile launches will be carried out… in addition to helicopter and drone launches from the deck of the Sahand destroyer,” he said.

The exercise aims to evaluate the navy’s equipment, practice launching weapons and “enable the troops to gain readiness for a real battle,” he added.

https://youtu.be/hjTzDHAoGP4

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