Iranian Navy to deploy first flotilla to Antarctic
The Iranian Navy announced plans to deploy its 86th flotilla of warships to the Antarctic for the first time ever “in the near future”.
The deployment of Iranian warships to the Antarctic was apparently one of the main goals of the recent mission by the 86th flotilla, which returned to the country a few days ago after a round-the-world voyage, according to Press TV.
The naval fleet, comprised of domestically-manufactured Dena destroyer and Makran forward base ship, entered the territorial waters of the Islamic Republic of Iran on Wednesday, after sailing 63,000 kilometers around the globe over eight months.
The 86th flotilla broke the record for the distance an Iranian flotilla has ever sailed in international waters and crossed the Strait of Magellan — the nearest region to the South Pole — during its mission, one of the main purposes of which was to test the strength of the steel hull of the Dena destroyer in cold waters.
Antarctica is one of the most important strategic regions in the world, with 30 countries having 70 active research centers there.
“Presence in Antarctica is important from various scientific, legal, political, geostrategic, and economic aspects, and this region in the future will be a major center on the international arena,” Tasnim news agency quoted Abolfazl Saleh, head of the Marine Science Research Institute of Iran’s National Institute for Oceanography, as saying.
The news agency added that the establishment of a permanent base by the Islamic Republic of Iran at the South Pole with the purpose of increasing the strategic depth of the country has received a lot of attention over the past years.
The 86th naval fleet set sail from Iran’s southern port city of Bandar Abbas on September 20, 2022, on a mission around the world.
During the mission, the naval fleet passed the coasts of Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil, finally anchoring in the port of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
Dena is a Mowj-class destroyer that joined the Iranian Navy in June 2021. The military vessel is equipped with anti-ship cruise missiles, torpedoes, and naval cannons.
Makran is a forward base ship weighing 121,000 tons. The warship can carry five helicopters and is employed for providing logistical support for combat warships.
The Iranian Navy has set up three ocean commands supervising naval missions to the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the Atlantic Ocean.