What's wrong with this drone carrier?
No, seriously, there's something wrong with this ship. In the comments on "X" and other places where you can demonstrate the depth of your intellect, many are openly laughing at the drone carrier, converted from a dry cargo ship. However, laughter is laughter, but such a ship, stuffed with "Shaheds", can cause trouble. Unless, of course, it is preemptively hit with something anti-ship and lethal.
But let's first look at the Shahid Bagheri. Its dimensions are impressive, and a comparison with the American UDC of the America class is very appropriate here. We will compare them, because there is a certain sense in this.
UDC "America"
The displacement of the Bagheri is 42 tons. The displacement of the America is 000 tons.
The length of the Bagheri is 240 meters, the length of the America is 257 meters.
The width of the Bagheri is 32 meters, and the width of the America is exactly the same.
It can be said that the ships are almost identical in size. The only difference is the length of the flight deck. The American ship has a "takeoff deck" the entire length of the ship, that is, more than 220 meters, but without a ski jump. And the Bagheri is 170-180 meters. But with a ski jump. From which Iran recently demonstrated a takeoff and landing UAV, and the landing was carried out “like an airplane”, with the help of an arresting gear.
New photos and videos of 'Shahid Bagheri' have been released following a ceremony marking his official induction into the Navy fleet Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It is known that the conversion of the "aircraft carrier" from a commercial container ship began in May 2022, and sea trials in the new configuration began in November last year.
About aviation We will talk about the capabilities of the Shahid Bagheri separately at the very end, but now we will note that the ship can be used as a UDC. The pictures of the Shahid Bagheri show the ability to launch and lift small boats using davits through large portals closed by doors on both sides of the hull. There is information that up to 30 different boats and launches can be accommodated inside the ship.
Use of small boats armed with rockets and others weapons, in groups has long been a characteristic tactic of the IRGC naval units. There are opinions that the ship can be used to launch unmanned surface (USV) and underwater (UUV) vehicles.
The photos also show one of the Shahid Bagheri's ports being used to connect via a ramp to a small vessel similar to a landing craft. This allows the Bagheri to load and unload personnel and equipment more quickly, including for further transfer to the shore. The UDC in all its glory, with support aircraft on the upper deck?
weaponry
The Shahid Bagheri has its own onboard weapons, including launchers in the stern that are designed for anti-ship cruise missiles, and a turret with an automatic cannon in the bow.
Something automatic, and, as it seems to me, with Soviet roots. The caliber, it seems, is about 76 mm, like on the frigates of the "Moudge" class. And behind, on the sides of the ski jump, something like that, obviously from Defense.
In addition, at the stern of the ship, behind the main superstructure, there is a large open area that can be used for various purposes, including as an additional flight deck for helicopters and drones vertical takeoff and landing, and for additional launchers, especially container-type launchers. Iranian officials claim the ship has short- and medium-range air defense capabilities, as well as electronic warfare and intelligence-gathering capabilities, but these are not visible in the images.
However, it is possible to hide the antennas of the SIGINT systems and EW not that difficult.
A view of the Shahid Bagheri from the stern. Visible behind the ship's main superstructure are launchers that appear to be designed for anti-ship cruise missiles.
Some of the rooms inside Shahid Bagheri, including a medical room, a mini-hospital and a gymnasium with a football pitch covered with artificial turf, provide space for the soldiers to exercise their bodies during breaks.
But what is this strange ship needed for anyway?
Currently, Bagheri is equipped only with drones and helicopters, so it is not strictly speaking an aircraft carrier. But in theory, it could also carry planes. The runway on the 240-meter vessel is 170 x 18 meters.
Iran currently has no aircraft that are suitable for takeoff from a ski-jump. Not yet, it must be said. The Russian MiG-29K, although it is a frankly outdated yesterday of carrier-based aviation, will be able to take off from the deck of the Bagheri, since the takeoff length of the MiG-29K is from 110 meters, depending on the load. And Iran has more than excellent relations with Russia today.
And China, China shouldn't be discounted either. When Iran and Pakistan started slapping each other in January last year, it was China that sent out a call to calm down and talk. And, most remarkably, the call was heard, and on the fourth day everyone calmed down.
Pakistan is a long-standing Chinese friend against India and a weapons client. So, given that China and Iran have no hot spots at all, it is quite possible that the IRGC will acquire Chinese J-15s. This is, of course, work on the Su-33 theme, but nevertheless, the characteristics of this aircraft will allow it to take off from the deck of the Bagheri.
Here the question is exclusively about the strength capabilities of the Iranian ship, because it is one thing to land a drone weighing 1-3 tons (the MQ-9 Reaper weighs almost 5 tons), and quite another thing if you slam 18 tons of MiG-29K or, even worse, 30 tons of J-15 onto the deck. This moment should be treated with great attention and thoroughness of execution.
But if we consider Bagheri as a training base, then everything is more or less smooth and even. Airplanes are not the first thing, but drones are the first thing. And, it must be admitted, it is easier and cheaper to teach ship crews to launch and receive aircraft on them.
Considering that Iran has never done this. And, fortunately, there are drones in this country like... like peaches. Or quinces.
For example, the Ababil-3 is a well-proven Iranian design that is actively used in Iran and by other operators in the Middle East. The drone is capable of surveillance and reconnaissance missions, as well as the use of small precision-guided munitions.
Larger drones or mock-ups are also visible, with designs that match the Qaher 313, a drone based on an aircraft. There are unconfirmed reports that these drones are 20 percent and 60 percent smaller than the original Qaher 313, respectively. Both aircraft are marked JAS-313, and one is shown in the video being lifted onto the flight deck by an elevator. It is unknown what their actual capabilities are, but they are likely attack drones.
Other types of drones can be seen on the deck of the Shahid Bagheri, such as the Mohajer-6, another popular Iranian drone used in Iran and many other countries around the world. American-made Bell Model 206 and Model 212 helicopters, as well as Russian-made Mi-17s, can be seen on the ship’s flight deck.
In general, a normal set for a UDC. If you look at "America", then really only planes are missing. But here you can see the difficulties.
The main questions about the capabilities of the Shahid Bagheri remain open because some things are not entirely clear. For example, the retention of the original main superstructure of the container ship in the aft section immediately leads to an unusual arrangement of the flight deck.
The Shahid Bagheri retains the original superstructure, which spans the entire width of the deck, which means that the traditional flat-deck UDC configuration cannot be used. Apparently, moving the superstructure to the starboard side is too difficult a task for Iranian shipbuilders. But it is indeed a very difficult task.
The problem of the runway length is partially solved by a ski jump, but a superstructure located directly next to the runway will significantly complicate maneuvering, especially during landing.
The question of what kind of aircraft will fly from this strange ship is key to understanding the purpose of its creation. It is clear that Bageri will be able to launch and receive the entire range of aircraft (airplanes, helicopters, UAVs). Moreover, heavy attack or reconnaissance drones with jet engines - for them, Bageri is an ideal base.
And behind the superstructure, in the stern, there is more than enough space to accommodate smaller types of catapult-launched drones like the Shahed-136 and other modular weapons. Canister-launched cruise missiles are another option Iran is already using.
Of course, it is not worth even considering the Bagheri as a serious strike ship. In general, the basis of the strike force of the Iranian fleet is submarines, and the IRGC fleet, to which the Shahid Bagheri belongs, is missile boats. In this light, the drone carrier of the IRGC fleet does not look like a combat unit capable of inflicting damage on enemy ships or landing an impressive landing force.
Of course, appearing under the cover of a couple of destroyer-class warships, the Bagheri will be able to cause damage to commercial shipping, and in a very large area.
The ability to launch drones, especially strike drones, from a dedicated drone carrier could be useful in scenarios against some opponents without powerful fleets, as well as for attacks in the “gray zone.” However, it remains a big question mark as to how long the Shahid Bagheri would last if used in such a strike role against a more or less decent navy capable of rapid response.
The fact that it can deploy these capabilities virtually anywhere in the world also gives it a unique place in Iran's military arsenal. Projecting power is difficult, but a drone carrier like this is a very cheap way to project power where it's needed.
It is clear that the Bagheri will not last long in such a scenario, but the cost of its conversion from a dry cargo ship is incomparable with the construction of a real aircraft carrier. This is a fact worth thinking about.
A disposable ship? A one-mission ship?
By the way, it is possible. But it has been known for a long time that Iran simply does not have the real capacity to build ships of the required tonnage and configuration. From the very moment when it became clear that some Iranian commercial vessels are not at all what they look like. Iran used modified commercial vessels as secret floating bases for its submarines, as well as for intelligence gathering.
The Shahid Bagheri is a symbolic extension of this theme. Given that American aircraft carriers are frequent visitors to the Persian Gulf, and are the very tools of power projection, Iranian officials are increasingly seeking to deploy naval forces over long distances, including in the Western Hemisphere. The Shahid Bagheri is said to have a range of 22 nautical miles, which, while dubious, fits with these larger ambitions, at least in terms of distraction. A drone carrier is good for that kind of thing.
Whatever real capabilities the Shahid Bagheri may have, it also reflects a real trend towards building new large deck warships, primarily focused on unmanned operations, as well as converting existing vessels to some extent into "unmanned aircraft carriers." The Turks are quite deliberately making their UDC a drone carrier, since they were denied the F-35B. Necessity, you know, is the mother of invention.
So we have two possible scenarios, and the most likely one should be stated first. Shahid Bagheri is simply a testing ground. On this ship, UAV operators and helicopter pilots will practice taking off and landing on a ship, and the ship's tracking and guidance system operators will practice their tasks. At this time, design engineers at Iranian shipyards (for example, at ISOICO, whose shipyards are capable of building up to four ships of any type with a deadweight of up to 80 thousand tons annually) will work on the task of building a ship with a superstructure on the side. Or two.
And sooner or later Iran will receive a full-fledged UDC with the ability to use aircraft. And this path can be covered in 4-6 years, and the personnel will already be trained and waiting on shore. And, given the presence of a full-fledged aviation team on the ship, it will be possible to begin training and training pilots.
And this will already be the birth of Iran's naval aviation.
The second option is simpler. Iran will continue to build such homemade products and use them, disguising them as commercial vessels. "Bagheri", of course, is not an indicator, it is too noticeable, but load several hundred "Shaheds" on it, and together with reconnaissance vehicles, which will play the role of spotters, you get a very good attack ship.
We do not forget that the Shahed-136 is many times cheaper than any missile, and intercepting and shooting it down is still a problem, and an expensive one at that. And destroying the energy structure of any state with a wave of these devices is not such a difficult matter, as recent events have shown.
In general, everyone can figure out the development line themselves, it's not difficult. Well, what these complicated Persians really wanted as a result - we will see over time. But there is such a thought - everything is too simple with this drone carrier. But once upon a time the whole world laughed heartily at a plastic rattle with a gasoline engine and ten kilograms of explosives. And the most advanced gentlemen stroked their cruise missiles. And it turned out that it was the rattles that staged a lockout in half of Ukraine, and now half the world is queuing to Iran for them.
You can laugh at this strange Iranian drone carrier. But perhaps you shouldn't. It's better to see where all this leads.
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