4th Naval Region (Islamic Republic of Iran Navy)

The 4th Region[1] or the Northern Fleet[2] (Persian: ناوگان شمال‎) is the flotilla of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy in the Caspian Sea.

Northern Fleet
CountryIran
Size3,000 personnel (2007 estimate)[1]
Part ofIslamic Republic of Iran Navy
Garrison/HQBandar Anzali, Gilan Province
Equipment6 principal surface combatants
EngagementsSoviet invasion of Iran (1941)
Commanders
Current
commander		Vice Commodore Abdolvahab Taheri

History
Maritime borders and natural resources at the Caspian Sea
See also: Afsharid navy § Northern fleet

Timeline of events
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.
Commissioned vessels
2003Paykan
2004
2005
2006Joshan
2007
2008
2009Derafsh
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015Damavand
2016
2017Separ
2001
  • 23 July: Iranian corvette Hamzeh forced the vessel chartered by BP, which was going to work on Alborz/Araz offshore oil field (disputed between Iran and Republic of Azerbaijan) leave the area.[3][4]
2007
  • Russian naval group made a visit to Bandar Anzali.[5]
2013
2015
  • 9–12 August: Russia ships Volgodonsk and Makhachkala, both Buyan-class corvettes, visited Bandar Anzali and participated in joint drill with Iran.[5]
  • 22 October: Naval group consisting of Damavand, Paykan and Joshan made visits to Astrakhan (the second of such mission), as well as Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan.[5]
2016
  • September: Iranian naval group visited Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan.[5]
2017
  • March: Iranian vessels made a port call to Makhachkala on 9 March, on the fifth flag mission to Russia.[5]
  • April: Starting on 8 April, the first flag mission to Kazakhstan began.[5]
  • 13–15 July: Russian corvette Makhachkala docked at Bandar Anzali (the fifth such mission).[5]
  • 6–9 October: An Azerbaijani Stenka-class patrol boat harbored at Anzali in the first Azerbaijani navy visit to Iran.[5]
  • 14 October: Damavand and Paykan left for a visit to Makhachkala (21 October).[5]
2019
  • 22–29 April: Joshan and Separ went on a training mission and docked at Aktau, Kazakhstan.[5]

Units

Operational units

Logistic units

Training centers

Commanders

Equipment
Damavand is the flagship of the northern fleet[2]
IRIS Separ (P234), commissioned in 2017
IRIS Hamzeh (802), commissioned in 1936

Principal surface combatants in the fleet include:

Class and type Ship Pennant number Commissioned Status
Moudge-class frigate Damavand 77 2015 Under repair
Hamzeh-class corvette Hamzeh 802 1936 In service
Sina-class fast attack craft Paykan P224 2003 In service
Joshan P225 2006 In service
Derafsh P233 2009 In service
Separ P233 2017 In service

Other notable vessels are:

Class and type Ship Notes
Sewart-class inshore partol craft Mahnavi Hamraz Three surviving out of the nine acquired from the United States Coast Guard in c.1953.[11]
Mahnavi Taheri
Mahnavi Vahedi

Assessment

After Russia, Iran has the second largest fleet in the Caspian sea.[1] Tehran has strengthened its fleet since the early 2000s.[1]

According to Paul A. Goble, with recent expansion of Iranian naval forces in the Caspian Sea, "Moscow will have to take this Iranian fleet into consideration as a potential challenge".[12] James M. Dorsey states that Iranian growing presence is likely to boost rivalries among Caspian states.[13]

Comparison of naval forces in the Caspian Sea (2018)
Force Fleet
FF FS FAC PB hel MC amph
Azerbaijani Navy N/A 1 N/A 10 3 4 6
Kazakh Naval Forces N/A N/A 2 22 N/A 1 N/A
Caspian Flotilla 2 8 3 5 60 5 11
Turkmen Naval Forces N/A N/A 2 17 N/A N/A N/A
Northern Fleet N/A 1 4 10 1 1 N/A
Source: IISS via The Washington Institute for Near East Policy[6]
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gollark: Lots of stuff cannot particularly be done as WFH, so in most cases you probably cannot just stay home conveniently.
gollark: ... work?
gollark: Or feel socially pressured to because other people are, or just don't really know either way.
gollark: Not really.

References
  1. Cordesman, Anthony H.; Kleiber, Martin (2007). Iran's Military Forces and Warfighting Capabilities: The Threat in the Northern Gulf. Greenwood. p. 125. ISBN 978-0-313-34612-5.
  2. Goble, Paul (28 May 2020), "Iran Expanding Its Naval Presence in the Caspian", Eurasia Daily Monitor, 17 (75)
  3. Peimani, Hooman (2008). Conflict and Security in Central Asia and the Caucasus. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. p. 253. ISBN 978-1-59884-054-4.
  4. Charney, Jonathan I.; Colson, David A.; Smith, Robert W. (2005), International Maritime Boundaries, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, p. 3544, ISBN 9789004144613
  5. Nadimi, Farzin (April 2020), "Iran's Evolving Approach to Asymmetric Naval Warfare: Strategy and Capabilities in the Persian Gulf" (PDF), The Washington Institute for Near East Policy (Policy Focus) (164), Appendix E: IRIN’s Long-range Task Forces And Naval Visits Abroad, pp. 64–74, retrieved 15 July 2020
  6. Nadimi, Farzin (April 2020), "Iran's Evolving Approach to Asymmetric Naval Warfare: Strategy and Capabilities in the Persian Gulf" (PDF), The Washington Institute for Near East Policy (Policy Focus) (164), p. 8, retrieved 15 July 2020
  7. "Iran navy opens logistics base in northern city", Tehran Times, 25 July 2017, retrieved 15 July 2020
  8. Iranian Naval Forces: A Tale of Two Navies (PDF), Office of Naval Intelligence, February 2017, p. 17, ISBN 978-0160939686
  9. Maclean, William (9 February 2014), "Iran says warships sailing towards U.S.: agency", Middle East Institute, retrieved 15 July 2020
  10. Majidyar, Ahmad (3 July 2017), "Iran's Navy Launches Five-Day Naval Drills in Caspian Sea", Middle East Institute, retrieved 15 July 2020
  11. Saunders, Stephen; Philpott, Tom, eds. (2015), "Iran", IHS Jane's Fighting Ships 2015–2016, Jane's Fighting Ships (116th Revised ed.), Coulsdon: IHS Jane's, p. 392, ISBN 9780710631435, OCLC 919022075
  12. Goble, Paul (12 September 2019), "Iran May Not Be the Entirely Reliable Ally in the Caspian Moscow Hopes For", Eurasia Daily Monitor, 16 (124)
  13. Dorsey, James M. (8 June 2020), "Iranian naval activity shines light on Caspian Sea rivalries", Modern Diplomacy
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