Armed Polite Society
Main Forums => Politics => Topic started by: AZRedhawk44 on September 27, 2011, 02:23:45 PM
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http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/world/10356471/iran-says-could-deploy-navy-near-u-s-coast-report/
Yeah. I'm real askeered of Iran. ;/
Hurry, hurry! Throw tax money at it! Let's pass some legislation pertaining to maritime searches/seizures of boats! Maybe call it Patriot Act 3: If You Don't Have Anything To Hide, We'll Sink You Anyways.
How can this possibly be the "top" headline at Drudge right now? Rly? It's laughable.
Keep the focus on domestic issues, nooz-peeples.
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Does Iran have a blue-water Navy? The Persian Gulf and the Med off the shores of Egypt don't really count as distant self-sustaining deployments, in my view.
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Does Iran have a blue-water Navy? The Persian Gulf and the Med off the shores of Egypt don't really count as distant self-sustaining deployments, in my view.
Unlikely to be self-sustaining. I'm betting Venezuela will provide ports for refueling, etc..
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Unlikely to be self-sustaining. I'm betting Venezuela will provide ports for refueling, etc..
Ditto. As far as I can recall their UNREP capability is more or less non-existent. Most likely if they want to pull this off they'll have to get port access, probably from a variety of our local neighbors that are rather peevish with us, Cuba being another possibility. I suspect only a few of their blue water vessels would have the legs to make the trip and they'd be stretching it at that. Lemme see if I can find my copy of Jane's Fighting Ships...
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Jane's Fighting Ships, 2004-2005 - Iran
Strength of the Fleet
Submarines - 3
Midget Submarines - 1 (3 in building)
Frigates - 3
Corvettes - 2 (3 in building)
Fast Attack Craft, Missile - 20
Large Patrol Craft - 8
Coastal Patrol Craft - 123+ (12 in building)
Landing Ships (Logistic) - 7
Landing Ships (Tank) - 6
Hovercraft - 6
Minesweepers, Coastal - 3
Replenishment Ship - 1
Supply Ships - 1
Support Ships - 7
Water Tankers - 4
Tenders - 13
Presuming they top off their bunkers at say, Egypt, and made a beeline straight for Havana, the only major vessels with the legs to make the trip would be their three aged Kilo-class submarines, with a 7 knot cruising speed range of 6000nm.
Their next longest ranged vessels are: 3 Alvand (Vosper Mk5) class guided missile frigates (range 3650nm), 2 Bayandor (PF 103) class corvettes (range 2400nm), and 10 Kaman (Combattante II) class fast attack craft, missile (range 2000nm).
Even if they tried to say, top off at Freetown, Sierra Leone, and then made for El Guamache, Venezuela, their frigates would still not have the legs for making the short mid-Atlantic hop (nominally 3013nm) solo.
Interestingly I was mostly incorrect regarding their UNREP capability (though their actual proficiency at such maneuvers in a blue water environment remains seriously questionable). The Iranian's possess a grand total of three vessels that could potentially serve as oilers: 2 AORLH Fleet Supply Ships, range 3500nm at 16 knots, displacement 4,673 tons full load and 1 AORH Replenishment Ship, range unlisted, top speed 21.5 knots, displacement 33,014 tons full load. For a practical comparison a US Navy AOEHM Fast Combat Support Ship (Sacramento class) has a nominal full displacement of 53,600 tons and a range of 10,000nm at 17 knots or 6,000 nm at 25 knots.
So in final summary about Iran driving around our coast.... *yawn* think you guys could kill some FARC drug smugglers while you're down here? I'm gonna be over there taking a nap.
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This may prove instructive. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Praying_Mantis)
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Somewhere near Norfolk right now the crew of a 688i (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_class_submarine) is praying that the Iranians put their Kilos in the Atlantic.
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Somewhere near Norfolk right now the crew of a 688i (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_class_submarine) is praying that the Iranians but their Kilos in the Atlantic.
Need some target practice, huh? =D