Iranian Navy to equip Sahand destroyer with Sayyad-3 and Navvab air defense missile systems for future overseas deployments.

As reported by Tasnim on May 7, 2025, the Iranian Navy confirmed that the Moudge-class destroyer Sahand will be equipped with the Sayyad-3 and Navvab air defense systems as part of its ongoing modernization. Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, the Navy’s Commander, stated that the destroyer was returned to service in ten days after being salvaged, whereas such operations typically require several months. According to Irani, Sahand will now carry 12 missiles of three different types, and further plans are underway to enhance the combat capabilities of Iranian destroyers more broadly. This follows the ship’s sinking during repairs in July 2024 in Bandar Abbas, caused by flooding after the removal of the ship’s shaft.
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The Sahand was currently equipped with eight Qader anti-ship cruise missiles and four Mehrab surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), the latter being the naval variant of the Sayyad-2. (Picture source: Iranian MoD)

The IRIS Sahand was originally commissioned in December 2018 and is the third vessel of the Moudge-class. It displaces between 1,200 and 1,500 tons, has a length of 95 meters, and is powered by four diesel engines. The vessel has a maximum speed of 30 knots and can remain at sea for 150 days with logistical support. Its standard crew complement is approximately 140. Prior to the 2024 accident, Sahand had participated in international missions, including a 133-day deployment to the Atlantic Ocean alongside the support ship Makran, during which it transited multiple seas and straits to participate in the Russian Navy Day event in St. Petersburg. The ship had previously been involved in operations in the northern Indian Ocean and had participated in joint naval exercises. Following its sinking, the Sahand was salvaged through the combined efforts of naval technical personnel and heavy lifting equipment supplied by the Iranian Shipbuilding and Offshore Industries Complex (ISOICO).

The destroyer’s armament prior to the current upgrade included the Fajr-27 76 mm naval gun, Kamand CIWS, Fath-40 AAA or 30 mm guns, 20 mm cannons, and dual 12.7 mm heavy machine guns. It was also equipped with eight Qader anti-ship cruise missiles and four Mehrab SAMs, the latter being the naval variant of the Sayyad-2. Additionally, it carried two triple 324 mm torpedo tubes and had a helicopter deck capable of supporting a Bell 212 ASW helicopter. The ship’s radar systems include the Asr 3D PESA long-range radar, with electronic warfare capabilities supported by two 8-tube chaff launchers. The design also incorporates stealth features through reduced external protrusions and integration of the smoke funnel into the superstructure.

The Sayyad-3 missile system, scheduled to be installed on Sahand, is part of Iran’s third generation of solid-fuel surface-to-air missiles. It has a reported range of 120 kilometers and a maximum engagement altitude of 27 to 30 kilometers. Sayyad-3 supports multiple guidance modes, including active radar, semi-active radar, and infrared. It is compatible with the Khordad-15 and Talaash-3 air defense systems and is designed to intercept UAVs, cruise missiles, fighter aircraft, and low-RCS targets. Sayyad-3 missiles are launched from vertical or canister-based systems and have also been integrated into the Bavar-373 long-range SAM system. The missiles are intended to cover both medium and high altitudes and are being fielded across naval and land-based platforms.

The Navvab missile system has already been integrated into multiple naval platforms, including the Shahid Soleimani, Zolfaghar, and high-speed boats of the IRGC, such as those from the Ashura and Tariq classes. (Picture source: Iranian MoD)

The Navvab system is the naval variant of the Zoubin short-range air defense system and shares most of its functional features. It consists of a radar, command system, and vertical missile launcher integrated into a single platform. Zoubin’s radar can detect up to 100 targets and engage 8 simultaneously, with a detection range of 30 kilometers and an engagement range between 15 and 20 kilometers. It is equipped with an active phased-array radar and supports simultaneous engagement of multiple aerial threats, including cruise missiles, drones, and low-altitude aircraft. The system is designed for rapid deployment and has been installed on trailers, tactical vehicles, and small naval vessels. The vertical missile launch capability allows for 360-degree coverage.

Navvab, as a maritime variant of Zoubin, has already been integrated into multiple naval platforms, including the Shahid Soleimani, Zolfaghar, and high-speed boats of the IRGC, such as those from the Ashura and Tariq classes. The system was previously tested on a 16-meter naval platform and later installed on vessels capable of speeds up to 90 knots. Navvab has also been deployed on IRGC platforms for point air defense, with confirmed installations of four missiles per vessel. According to statements made by Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, the system was tested with a vertical-launch missile having a 25-kilometer range and was deemed operational for countering helicopters, drones, and low-flying threats.

Navvab has been presented as part of broader efforts to increase the Navy’s short- and medium-range air defense capabilities. During recent naval modernization, 12 Navvab launchers were reportedly integrated into Shahid Soleimani, while Zolfaghar carries four. The Navy has also announced future plans to equip Moudge-class destroyers such as Sahand and Teftan with Navvab systems. Photographs of Teftan, currently under construction, suggest that vertical missile launchers similar to Navvab are part of its design. The systems are reportedly interoperable with other domestic air defense networks, including Majid, Mersad, and Third Khordad, allowing for joint operations within Iran’s integrated air defense architecture.

On 7 July 2024, the Sahand sank during repairs in Bandar Abbas, caused by flooding after the removal of the ship’s shaft. (Picture source: Iranian MoD)

The Zoubin missile system was unveiled in 2021 and has since been deployed in both land and sea configurations. It was presented during the Modafean Aseman 1400 exercise and has been used operationally by both the Army and the IRGC Navy. Designed to operate in geographically challenging areas, including mountainous border zones, Zoubin fills a gap in low-altitude air defense coverage. Its mobility, facilitated by trailer-mounted configurations, enhances survivability in battlefield conditions. Iranian defense officials have stated that the system is being upgraded to extend its engagement range from 15 to 25 kilometers, and that development efforts are ongoing.

The reintroduction of Sahand with Sayyad-3 and Navvab systems follows earlier announcements that the vessel's missile loadout had increased from eight to twelve missiles. Rear Admiral Irani also noted that Sahand will carry three distinct types of missiles in total. If implemented as planned, the dual air defense system configuration on Sahand would mark one of the most comprehensive upgrades to a Moudge-class vessel since the commissioning of the original Jamaran. As both systems have been tested on other platforms, including vertical-launch trials on the IRGC’s high-speed boats and successful engagements from corvettes, the Iranian Navy’s intention to deploy them aboard Sahand would further consolidate Iran’s capability to defend maritime assets in increasingly contested environments, as well as improving fleet-level air defense across both blue-water and littoral zones.

The original Sahand, initially named Faramarz, was a British-built Vosper Mark V (Alvand-class) frigate ordered by Iran in the 1960s, launched in July 1969, and commissioned in February 1972. Renamed Sahand after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the vessel displaced up to 1,540 tons at full load, measured 94.5 meters in length, and was armed with Sea Killer anti-ship missiles, a 114 mm Mark 8 gun, 35 mm and 20 mm anti-aircraft guns, machine guns, mortars, and torpedo tubes. On 18 April 1988, during Operation Praying Mantis, the frigate was sunk by U.S. forces in one of the largest surface naval battles involving the U.S. Navy since World War II. The operation was launched in retaliation for the mining of the USS Samuel B. Roberts in the Persian Gulf. While sailing near Larak Island, Sahand was targeted by American A-6E Intruder aircraft and the destroyer USS Joseph Strauss. The ship was hit by multiple Harpoon and Skipper II missiles and cluster bombs, leading to uncontrollable fires that eventually reached its ammunition magazines, resulting in a massive explosion and the vessel’s sinking. Forty-five crew members were killed, which led to the naming of a new Sahand destroyer in 2018 to honor the lost ship as well as the dead sailors.