Flotilla
Trusted Member
Exactly. It is not a combat ship. It will be never used in combat. Her role is surveillance and electronic mapping. Any use near a conflict zone is suicidal.It’s an ISR vehicle.
Its sole purpose is to spy on enemy and learn how it thinks, moves, and conveys its signals for wartime. They utilize international waters/air space during peace time to get as close to the enemy so they can use their instruments to spy. So it will likely follow carrier groups and other battleships to spy on them. During war there is no way in hell it can get close to any enemy even if it had weapons on board. It’s not made for wartime.
It’s no different than the concept of Embassies which have traditionally been spy dens for countries to gain intel on the host country. You wouldn’t expect to protect an embassy if you went to war with the host country would you?
These aren’t war fighting vehicles any more than slapping A2A missiles on a U2 spy plane or Blackbird or SIGNIT plane. These planes fly/flew defenseless.
The IRGC vessels you mentioned are war fighting sea vessels. This is not. Hence why it’s painted white. It signals that it’s a non combat ship. Sinking it could be considered a war crime. Just like sinking a supply ship or hospital ship.
Every meaningful Navy have a such role ship. But in the case of IRIN, they used the same hull of Mowj class, giving some kind of MUCH NEEDED standarization, but also much more surprising, advance equipment like those antennas that suggest data link capability and digital DRFM ELINT capability. It is a truly force multiplier.
We know some cases like Deylaman that seems not still be equipped with Air search radar. But Deylaman and Zagros are really a leap forward in terms of sensors and electronic. In 5 years IRIN got 3 new major vessels (excluding auxiliary Makran).












