Frigate IRIS Jamaran (76)

IRIS Jamaran (76) is the leading ship of the Iranian Moudge-class frigate, launched in the early 2010s in Bandar-e-Abbas, Iran. Iran has declared that the conceptualization and construction of Jamaran represent one of the paramount accomplishments of the Iranian Navy, signifying a significant technological advancement for Iran's naval industries. Several more ships of the same class are presently in the process of being built to augment the Iranian fleets in both the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf. The ship is designed to accommodate a crew of 140 and integrates anti-submarine capabilities with various weapon systems capable of addressing surface and airborne threats.

The primary armament utilized by Moudge-class vessels is the Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King, working in conjunction with onboard sensors to locate and neutralize submarines at considerable distances. Additionally, the Moudge class is equipped with a close-in anti-submarine torpedo system, employing a 324 mm (13 in) light torpedo with a range of 30 kilometers (19 mi), installed in triple torpedo launchers on either side of the stern.

To counter surface threats, the vessel is armed with four Noor / C-802 surface-to-surface anti-ship cruise missiles, housed in box launchers on the upper deck level between the radar and the main mast, pointing in opposite directions. The Noor, with a range of 170 km (110 mi), boasts an estimated single-shot hit probability as high as 98%.

For self-defense against aerial threats, the Moudge class incorporates four medium-range Fajr surface-to-air missiles (reverse engineered from the RIM-66/SM-1 standard missile) with a range of 74 km (46 mi) and a flight ceiling of 24.4 km (15.2 mi). These missiles are mounted in box launchers on the deck above the main deck level, situated in front of the helicopter landing pad. The Moudge class is also armed with two 20 mm Oerlikon cannons operated by gunners and a 40 mm Fateh-40 autocannon (reverse engineered from Bofors L/70) with an aerial range of 12.5 km (7.8 mi), providing shipboard point-defense against incoming anti-ship missiles and aircraft.

The primary gun on the forecastle is a 76 mm (3 in) Fajr-27 gun, capable of firing at a rate of 85 rounds per minute, with a range exceeding 17 kilometers against surface targets and 12 km (7.5 mi) against aerial targets. Jamaran also has space on the upper deck level for the potential installation of two 0.50 caliber machine guns in the future.

Jamaran is equipped with chaff and flare systems, as well as electronic warfare capabilities. The ship features an Asr passive electronically scanned array long-range radar for air and surface search and tracking, installed forward of the funnel on the roof. Additionally, the vessel is fitted with two navigation radars on the mainmast and one fire control radar.

The ship's detailed equipment includes S and X band radars, tactical aviation radar, radar processor and fire-control systems, subsurface sonar and echo sounder, surface and subsurface communication & internal communication and computer network systems, ECM, ECCM, and navigation systems, electroptical and stabilizer and synchronizer systems, an alert system against chemical-microbial attacks, and doors and air conditioning system with impenetrability and resistance capability during these attacks, an automated navigation system, and several other systems.

The Moudge-class vessels are powered by two 7,500 kW (10,000 hp) engines and utilize four diesel generators, each generating 550 kW (740 hp). The Moudge class can attain a maximum speed of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph).

Jamaran can accommodate a medium-sized helicopter and is also capable of conducting in-flight refueling (HIFR) operations when a helicopter approaches the landing platform, although it is not necessarily designed for landing operations.

On September 1, 2022, IRIS Jamaran seized two Saildrone Explorers belonging to the United States Navy. According to a statement from the United States Fifth Fleet, the nearby U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers USS Nitze and USS Delbert D. Black promptly responded.

A U.S. defense official, speaking anonymously, mentioned that Nitze dispatched an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter ahead to the Iranian ship as the destroyers approached. The helicopter crew observed the Saildrones on the ship's deck, but as they neared, the Iranian crew began covering them with tarps in an attempt to conceal the fact that they had seized these unmanned vessels.

Upon the arrival of the two destroyers, communication with the Iranian ship took place «to deescalate the situation and recover the seized Saildrones,» according to the statement. Eventually, the Iranians stated that they had received orders from their headquarters to return the vessels but preferred to wait until sunrise. The drones were released at 8:00 am local time on Friday morning.