Ghadir Class Iranian Diesel-Electric Midget Submarine

The Ghadir Class Iranian Diesel-Electric Midget Submarine is a class of midget submarines built by Iran specifically for cruising within the shallow waters of the Persian Gulf. It has a surface displacement estimated at about 115 long tons (117 tons). The Ghadir class is probably better described as a coastal or littoral submarine, similar in concept to the Italian Sauro class, though significantly smaller. The Ghadir class is based on the North Korean Yono-class submarine. Photographs indicate a pair of bow torpedo tubes around 21 inches (530 mm) diameter, allowing them to fire typical heavyweight torpedoes. It could thus serve as a launch platform for the VA-111 Shkval rocket torpedo. On 24 November 2007 Iranian rear-admiral Habibollah Sayyari announced: "A homemade destroyer called Jamaran and a home-made submarine of Ghadir class will launch operation on November 28." He also said that the submarine was equipped with the latest military and technological equipment and that its capabilities are equal to that of foreign types. Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei was quoted saying to Iran's navy commanders on the day the submarine was launched: "Today, you have been able to design and build many of the military requirements. We have become self-sufficient from other countries." New Ghadir submarines were delivered to the Iranian navy on June 2009, August 2010, August 2011, November 2011, February 2012, November 2012, and November 2018. While Ghadir resembles the North Korean Yono-class submarine, it is probably better described as a littoral submarine. Head of the Marine Industries Organization of Iran General Amir Rastegari announced on Dec 02, 2018, that subsurface-to-surface missiles have been mounted on the new home-made Qadir-class submarine, adding that many foreign states are willing to purchase the vessel. He also added that a home-made torpedo, Valfajr, mounted on the submarine enjoys a destruction power 6 times more than a cruise missile and can drown a 1,000-ton vessel into the sea in less than 10 seconds. He said that a unique periscope has also been mounted on the Qadir submarine, noting that a number of industrial countries have demanded to purchase this periscope and optical system from Iran.