Iran, Russia, China to hold joint naval drill in Persian Gulf
Naval forces from the Islamic Republic of Iran, Russia and China are set to stage a joint naval exercise in the Persian Gulf, where the three powerhouses will carry out large-scale maritime maneuvers involving various divisions of their military forces.
Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani told the state-run Islamic Republic of Iran News Network (IRINN) television news channel on Friday that Iranian, Chinese and Russian forces will jointly practice exercises during the 2024 Marine Security Belt naval war game, Press TV reported.
He added that delegates from Pakistan, Brazil, Oman, India, South Africa and a number of the Caspian Sea littoral states have also been invited to participate in the drills as observers.
Iranian naval forces and their Chinese and Russian counterparts have held several military drills in recent years to improve the security of international maritime trade, counter piracy and maritime terrorism, exchange information in naval rescue and relief operations, and exchange operational and tactical experiences.
Irani went on to say that the main phase of the country’s largest maritime zone will come on stream at the port city of Jask, in southeastern Iran, during the Ten-Day Dawn celebrations marking the 45th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution.
The commander stated that heavy-lift vessels will be deployed in the maritime zone by the end of the current Iranian calendar year, which concludes on March 19, 2024.
“Given the growth in the number of operating heavy lift vessels in the country, we are planning to establish a much larger maritime zone in Konarak” in the country’s southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan, the Iranian Navy commander said.
On Saturday, Irani attended an exhibition in which Iran’s Navy unveiled a domestically developed and manufactured vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone, alongside a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that can undertake a variety of marine operations autonomously.
The VTOL drone, dubbed Chamrosh-4, named after a bird in Persian mythology believed to live on the summit of Mount Alborz, enjoys cost-efficient technologies and can easily take off from and land vertically on the decks of all types of naval vessels, and carry out assigned missions.
Moreover, the remotely operated vehicle can detect, locate and destroy both anchored and sleeping naval mines. The ROV reportedly has the ability to carry a wide range of equipment and clear mines.
It can go as deep as 200 meters (656 feet), and has operational endurance of some 24 hours.