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April 02, 2006
Iranian-made Torpedo The Fastest? Hmmmm Propaganda Iranian Style
TEHRAN, Iran
VIDEO from Fox News.....just click on the speed you use in the large screen in upper left corner.
announced its second major new missile test within days, saying Sunday it has successfully fired a high-speed torpedo capable of destroying huge warships and submarines.
The tests came during war games that Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have been holding in the Gulf and the Arabian Sea since Friday at a time of increased tensions with the United States over Tehran's nuclear program.
The Iranian-made torpedo — called the "Hoot," or "whale" — has a speed of 223 miles per hour, said Gen. Ali Fadavi, deputy head of the Revolutionary Guards' Navy.
That would make it about three or four times faster than a normal torpedo and as fast as the world's known fastest, the Russian-made VA-111 Shkval, developed in 1995. It was not immediately known if the Hoot was based on the Shkval.
"It has a very powerful warhead designed to hit big submarines. Even if enemy warship sensors identify the missile, no warship can escape from this missile because of its high speed," Fadavi told state-run television.
It was not immediately clear whether the torpedo can carry a nuclear warhead.
More than 17,000 Revolutionary Guards forces are taking part in the weeklong maneuvers. On Sunday, paratroops practiced a drop in an attack on a mock enemy position, and warships, jet fighters, helicopters and sophisticated electronic equipment were used in other exercises.
Iran, which views the United States as an arch foe and is concerned about the U.S. military presence in neighboring Iraq and Afghanistan, says the maneuvers aim to develop the Guards' defensive capabilities.
Posted by Wild Thing at April 2, 2006 02:25 PM
Comments
Yup, and I own land on the moon.
If they suddenly got one of these, we've had them for years and have countermeasures.
Posted by: BobF at April 2, 2006 04:22 PM
Courtesy of Vladimir. It's not unlikely that the missle are of both of French and Russian design and the warhead of Soviet design. Hmmm, I wonder what the drag ratio of a 223 MPH torpedo is. From the photo it looks like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been dipping his head under while doing the speed trials. It gives the hydraulic term flashing a new meaning.
Posted by: Jack at April 2, 2006 04:50 PM
Bob now you sell that place on the moon asap. It is just too far away. haha Love it.
Posted by: Wild Thing at April 2, 2006 04:59 PM
"dipping his head under while doing the speed trials. It gives the hydraulic term flashing a new meaning."............ Hahahahaha good one Jack
Posted by: Wild Thing at April 2, 2006 04:59 PM
Can you imagine the cavitation on that beast! I bet even the Russians could hear that with their equipment.
Posted by: sierrahome at April 2, 2006 06:15 PM
What fuels this kind of bragging is that the Iranians were witness to the destruction of an Army (the Iraq Army)...an army and air force that was better than the one they fought for ten years to a stalemate. Three weeks to take it out, with mop-up later.
But what's interesting to me is that...get this, Chirac has said that, if Iran doesn't denuclearize, France will "lead" a coalition to stop Iran militarily. This is very interesting, primarily because Chirac doesn't mean it, but he said it for a reason.
I don't think it's bluster. Something is going on, which might be connected with French influence in North Africa and elsewhere in the ME, and Arab fears about Persian resurgence. Iran has at least as many enemies in the ME as in The West.
Posted by: Rhod at April 2, 2006 07:03 PM
Forgot to mention that the Saudis seem to be trying to buy nukes as a finished product. What kind? I don't know, but you can bet they're not going to be aimed at Israel.
Posted by: Rhod at April 2, 2006 07:05 PM
Damn...the Chirac thing was an April Fool's column. Boy, do I feel like a jackass.
Posted by: Rhod at April 2, 2006 07:37 PM
This torpedo is most likely Russian, known as the Shkval-E. The E stands for export variant. Rocket powered and cavatation up the waazu. The cavatation noise is a non issue because of how fast it is. Link below;
http://www.periscope.ucg.com/mdb-smpl/weapons/minetorp/torpedo/w0004768.shtml
The Russian's sell all sorts of military hardware, to whom ever has the cash. In December of 2005, Iran signed a deal to purchase 30 Tor M1 9M330 Air Defense System. The price tag is reported to be 700 million to 1 billion US $. Link below;
Posted by: RightToCarry at April 2, 2006 07:40 PM
Sierrahome........haha yes VERY loud.
Posted by: Wild Thing at April 3, 2006 12:39 AM
Rhod you did better then I did, I saw not one but two articles and didn't realize the April Fools thing till I has emailed them both. haha I had to re-email say oops. hahahaha
Posted by: Wild Thing at April 3, 2006 12:43 AM
RTC thank you for the links and information. I sure thought the noise would be so huge, that is interesting.
Posted by: Wild Thing at April 3, 2006 12:47 AM
