December5, 2006:
Iran has put two coastal submarines into service. Apparently with
technical help from North Korea, Iran is building these mini-submarines for
operations along its coasts, and throughout the Persian Gulf. Four have been
built so far. The sub has a two man crew, and can carry three divers, or
several naval mines, or a torpedo. The Iranians say they will use the mini-subs
to lay mines or launch underwater commando attacks. While the North Koreans
provided some technical assistance, the Iranian sub is a local design, smaller
than most North Korean mini-subs, which is a reflection of the more turbulent
seas found off the Korean coast. In the shallow waters of the Persian Gulf, the
Iranian minisubs (which look like an enlarged torpedo, with a glassed over
cockpit in the front), can be very difficult to detect. Their range is probably
a few hundred kilometers, more than sufficient to reach any targets in the
area. However, the United States Navy has spent a lot of time and effort on the
problem, and is probably better prepared to deal with minisubs than most
navies. North Korea has a fleet of over 60 mini-subs, and apparently Iran wants
at least a few dozen.