Iranian Submarine Fires Cruise Missile in War Game (+Video)

The Iranian Navy’s Qadir-class submarine has launched an anti-ship cruise missile in the main stage of Zolfaqar-99 war game on Friday, the spokesperson for the drill said.

Rear Admiral Shahram Irani added that the underwater-to-surface cruise missile has been mass-produced, noting that all submarines of the Iranian Navy are going to be armed with the homegrown missile.

The submarine-launched missile would give the Iranian Navy the upper hand against the enemies, the spokesman noted, adding that the range of the cruise missile will be extended dramatically in future.

Irani also said that all Qadir-class submarines and the Fateh submarine are now capable of firing anti-ship cruise missiles, saying Fateh is furnished with a new generation of Nasr cruise missiles with improved range and destructive power.

In another operation on Friday, the Navy flew its exclusive and homegrown drone, called Simorgh, to hit naval targets at a long distance.

The long-range Iranian drone travelled for more than 1,000 kilometers after take-off to target a vessel in faraway waters with Sadid, a smart bomb with pinpoint accuracy.  

Iran unveiled Simorgh drone in December 2019. With a flight endurance of 24 hours, the drone can be used for combat, reconnaissance, and tactical operations, and electronic warfare.

Simorgh has a range of 1,500 kilometers and a service ceiling of 25,000 feet. It is the naval version of Shahed-129, a powerful combat drone that was mass-produced in 2013.

The ongoing war game includes forces from the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, and Air Defense, and covers an area of 2 million square kilometers in eastern parts of the Strait of Hormuz, Makran Coast, Sea of Oman, and northern parts of the Indian Ocean, down to the 10-degrees latitude.