Tondar-class fast attack craft
Class overview
BuildersZhanjiang Shipyard, China
OperatorsNavy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
Preceded byType 021-class missile boat
Built1991–1996
In service1994–present
Planned10
Completed10
Active10
General characteristics
TypeFast attack craft
Displacement
  • 174 tons standard
  • 208 tons full load
Length38.6 m (126 ft 8 in)
Beam6.8 m (22 ft 4 in)
Draught2.7 m (8 ft 10 in)
Installed powerDiesel
Propulsion
  • 3 × diesel engines, 8,025 horsepower (5.984 MW)
  • 3 × shafts
Speed35 knots (65 km/h)
Complement3 officers and 25 sailors
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Active radar homing
  • SR-47A surface search radar
  • RM 1070-A navigation system
  • Type 341 Radar
Armament
  • 2 × twin missile launchers
  • 2 × twin AK-230 guns
  • 2 × twin 23mm guns

The Tondar class (Persian: تندر, lit. 'thunder', also known as Houdong class) consists of ten fast attack crafts operated by Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran.[1]

History

The negotiations to sign a contract for the vessels started in 1991, but was delayed for some time over the type of missiles installed on the ships.[1] The ships were manufactured at Zhanjiang Shipyard, China and were delivered to Iran in two batches, the first five in September 1994 and the remaining in March 1996.[1]

Design

Dimensions and machinery

The ships have a standard displacement of 174 tonnes (171 long tons) and 208 t (205 long tons) at full load.[1] The class design is 38.6 m (127 ft) long, would have a beam of 6.8 m (22 ft) and a draft of 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in)[1] and would have used three propeller shafts, powered by three diesel engines. This system was designed to provide 8,025 horsepower (5.984 MW) for a top speed of 35 knots (65 km/h).[1]

Armament

According to the 2020 edition of "The Military Balance" published by the IISS, the ships are equipped with two twin launchers that fire Iranian-made AShM, Ghader.[2] 2015–16 version of Jane's Fighting Ships however, had reported that the ships carry four Noor missiles.[1] The missiles rely on active radar homing to 120 kilometres (65 nmi) at 0.9 Mach.[1]

The close-in weapon system on the ships consists of two 30mm/65 twin AK-230 guns,[1][2] while the secondary armament is two 23mm/87 twin guns.[1]

Sensors and processing systems

Tondar-class vessels use Chinese SR-47A surface search radar and RM 1070-A navigation system, both working on I-band.[1] For fire control, they use Type 341 Radar (also known as Rice Lamp) on I/J-band.[1]

Ships in the class

Four ships in the class sailing in formation

The ships in the class which were renamed in c. 2006, are:[1]

Ship Namesake Pennant number Commissioned Status
Shahid Mahdavi (ex-Fath) Nader Mahdavi P313-1 (ex 301) September 1994 In service
Shahid Kord (ex-Nasr) Bijan Kord P313-2 (ex 302) September 1994 In service
Shahid Shafiei (ex-Saf) Nasrollah Shafiei P313-3 (ex 303) September 1994 In service
Shahid Tavassoli (ex-Ra'd) Gholam-Hossein Tavassoli P313-4 (ex 304) September 1994 In service
Shahid Hojjatzadeh (ex-Fajr) P313-5 (ex 305) September 1994 In service
Shahid Dara (ex-Shmas) Eshagh Dara P313-6 (ex 306) March 1996 In service
Shahid Absalan (ex-Me'raj) Khodadad Absalan P313-7 (ex 307) March 1996 In service
Shahid Raeisi (ex-Falaq) Asadollah Raeisi P313-8 (ex 308) March 1996 In service
Shahid Golzam (ex-Hadid) P313-9 (ex 309) March 1996 In service
Shahid Sohrabi (ex-Qadr) P313-10 (ex 310) March 1996 In service

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tondar-class missile boats.
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Saunders, Stephen; Philpott, Tom, eds. (2015), "Iran", IHS Jane's Fighting Ships 2015–2016, Jane's Fighting Ships (116th Revised ed.), Coulsdon: IHS Jane's, p. 388, ISBN 9780710631435, OCLC 919022075
  2. 1 2 The International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) (2020). "Middle East and North Africa". The Military Balance 2020. Vol. 120. Routledge. p. 350. doi:10.1080/04597222.2020.1707968. ISBN 9780367466398. S2CID 219624897.
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