Moudge-class frigate
{{Short description|Class of Iranian light frigates}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image | Ship image = | Ship caption = IRIS Deylaman }} {{Infobox ship class overview | Name = Moudge | Builders = *Iranian Navy's Factories | Operators = {{naval|Iran}} | Class before = {{sclass|Alvand|frigate|4}} | Class after = | Subclasses = | Cost = | Built range = 2001–present | In service range = 2010–present | In commission range = | Total ships building = 1 | Total ships planned = 7 | Total ships completed = 6 | Total ships cancelled = | Total ships active = 5 | Total ships laid up = | Total ships lost = 2 | Total ships retired = | Total ships preserved = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Ship type = Frigate | Ship displacement = 1,500 tonnes{{cite news|publisher=Defense Industries Organization |title=Jamaran frigate |url=http://www.diomil.ir/images/Product/mig/Specifications/sina.jpg |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070717150914/http://www.diomil.ir/images/Product/mig/Specifications/sina.jpg |archive-date=July 17, 2007 }} | Ship length = {{convert|95|m|ft|1|abbr=on}} | Ship beam = {{convert|11.1|m|ft|1|abbr=on}} | Ship height = | Ship draught = {{convert|3.25|m|ft|1|abbr=on}} | Ship power = | Ship propulsion = *2 × {{convert|10,000|hp|abbr=on}} engines
| Ship speed = {{convert|30|kn|km/h|1}} | Ship range = | Ship complement = 140 | Ship time to activate = | Ship sensors = Asr 3D PESA long-range Radar | Ship EW = *2 × 8 tube chaff launcher | Ship armament = *Naval guns
| Ship armour = | Ship aircraft = 1 × Bell 214 ASW helicopter | Ship aircraft facilities = Helicopter landing pad | Ship notes = }} |
The Moudge or Mowj or Moj ({{langx|fa|موج|lit=wave}}) is a class of domestically-produced Iranian light frigates.
History
A Moudge-class ship was first reported to be under construction in 2001.{{citation|first=Paul H.|last=Silverstone|title=Naval Intelligence|journal=Warship International|publisher=International Naval Research Organization|volume=38|number=4|date=2001|page=346|jstor=44895663}} Warship International wrote in 2008 that four ships of this class were under construction: Mowj (376) launched on 22 February 2007, Jamaran (377) launched on 28 November 2007, as well as Azarakhsh (378) and Tondar (379).{{citation|first=Paul H.|last=Silverstone|title=Naval Intelligence|journal=Warship International|publisher=International Naval Research Organization|volume=45|number=1|date=2008|pages=13–14 |jstor=44895054}}
The first ship, Jamaran is said to be completed and is stationed in the port of Bandar Abbas. Damavand is the second ship in this class.{{cite web |publisher=Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) |url=http://www.isna.ir/Main/NewsView.aspx?ID=News-882301 |title=Destroyer production line inaugurated in Iran (Wave II) |date=23 February 2007 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207125140/http://www.isna.ir/Main/NewsView.aspx?ID=News-882301 |archive-date=7 February 2012 }} According to OSGEOINT, Damavand was constructed at the Shahid Tamjidi Marine Industries (STMI) fabrication shop on the Caspian Sea at Bandar-e Anzali.{{cite web |publisher=OSGEOINT |url=http://osgeoint.blogspot.com/2012/01/correction-on-iran-submarine.html |title=The Second Moje Class Frigate at Shahid Tamjidi Marine Industries |date=26 January 2012|url-access=subscription }} The frigate was launched in March 2013.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}
Damavand, based out of Bandar-Anzali on the Caspian Sea, ran aground on a concrete breakwater in the vicinity of its home port on 10 January 2018. It is believed probable that the incident was the result of navigational error, affected by a strong storm in the area, which created high wave heights and low visibility in the area. During the incident, six members of the ship's crew fell overboard. Four of those crew members were later rescued, and two were considered missing by media sources. The Iranian Navy declined to confirm the reporting. There has been little information released in reference to the cause of the grounding, with the exception of statements of wave height and visibility caused by the storm at the time of the grounding.
Damavand is currently listed as actively commissioned. Photos from 2018 show that the ship's hull has broken apart near the waterline approximately at the start of the ship's aircraft deck.{{Cite web |url=http://www.maritimeherald.com/2018/destroyer-navy-iran-flew-breakwater-caspian-sea/ |title=Destroyer of the Navy of Iran Flew into a Breakwater in the Caspian Sea | Maritime Herald |access-date=2018-01-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180131210513/http://www.maritimeherald.com/2018/destroyer-navy-iran-flew-breakwater-caspian-sea/ |archive-date=2018-01-31 |url-status = live}}
Iranian Navy commissioned Dena with a ceremony held in Bandar Abbas on 14 June 2021.{{Cite web|last=Archus|first=Dorian|title=Iran commissions indigenous destroyer "Dena" and minehunter "Shahin" - Naval Post|date=15 June 2021 |url=https://navalpost.com/iran-commissions-destroyer-and-mcm-vessel/|access-date=2021-06-15|language=en-US}}
Future units of the Modge class are set to be equipped with the Sayyad-2 anti-aircraft missiles.{{cite news |title=Iran Mulling Change in Sayyad Missiles to Mount It on Mowj-Class Vessels |url=http://english.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13921107000722 |work=Fars News Agency |date=27 January 2014 |access-date=28 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630150457/http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13921107000722 |archive-date=30 June 2015 |url-status = live}}
During construction, frigate Talaiyeh suddenly capsized while in dry dock. Killing one Navy personnel, no official reports have been released by the Iranian authorities.
Whilst in port at Bandas Abbas Sahand capsized on the 7 July 2024 before sinking on 9 July.{{Cite web |agency=Reuters |title=Iranian warship Sahand entirely sinks despite rebalancing efforts |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/world/iranian-warship-sahand-entirely-sinks-despite-rebalancing-efforts-3098335 |access-date=2024-07-09 |website=Deccan Herald |language=en}}
Classification
Iran officially classifies these ships as destroyers, but this is rejected by most navies internationally.{{cite web | url=https://apnews.com/article/iran-warship-navy-caspian-sea-79164ae32aa090a1579e74f595e7962f | title=Iran adds a sophisticated warship to its Caspian Sea fleet | website=Associated Press News | date=27 November 2023 }} Alternatively, they have also been described as destroyer escorts.{{cite web | url=https://www.militaryfactory.com/ships/detail.php?ship_id=IRIN-Jamaran-76 | title=IRIN Jamaran (76) Guided Missile Frigate / Destroyer Escort }}
Sources differ in specifying the type of the class, either as light frigate or corvette.{{citation|first=Anthony|last=Cordesman|editor-first1=Joachim|editor-last1=Krause|editor-first2=Sebastian|editor-last2=Bruns|title=Routledge Handbook of Naval Strategy and Security|chapter=The Gulf: How Dangerous is Iran to International Maritime Security?|isbn=9781138840935|date=2016|publisher=Routledge|page=107}}
Jane's Fighting Ships classifies the class as FFG of frigate while the Military Balance of the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS), designates the ships in the class as FSGM or corvette.{{cite book|author=The International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS)|title=The Military Balance 2020|year=2020|publisher=Routledge|chapter=Middle East and North Africa|volume=120|number=1|isbn=9780367466398|doi=10.1080/04597222.2020.1707968|page=350|s2cid=219624897 }}
Ships in the class
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category-inline|Mouge class frigate}}
{{Ship classes of the Iranian Navy}}
{{Weapons of Iran}}
{{Frigates of Iran}}