Islamic Republic of Iran Navy | |
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The seal of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy
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Active | 1923–present |
Country | Iran |
Branch | Navy |
Size | 18,000 (estimate) |
Part of | Army (Artesh) |
Garrison/HQ | Tehran |
Nickname(s) |
Persian: دریادلان, Daryādelān "Seahearts" |
Motto(s) |
Persian: راه ما، راه حسین است, Rāh-e ma, rāh-e hoseyn ast "Our Path, Is Hussain's Path" |
March | 18 April |
Anniversaries | 28 November (Navy Day) |
Equipment | Current Vessels |
Engagements | |
Commanders | |
Current commander |
Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari |
Insignia | |
Naval jack | |
Flag |
Navy of Islamic Republic of Iran Army (Persian: نیروی دریایی ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ایران) acronymed NEDAJA (Persian: نداجا), is the naval warfare service branch of Iran's regular military, the Islamic Republic of Iran Army (Artesh).
It is charged with the responsibility of forming Iran's first line of defense in the Gulf of Oman and beyond with the mission of acting as an effective blue-water navy. However it is generally considered as a conventional green-water navy as it mostly operates at a regional level, in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman but also as far afield as the Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and northwest quarter of the Indian Ocean. In July 2016, the Navy said that it would establish a presence in the Atlantic Ocean, of unspecified duration.
One of Iran's two maritime military branches alongside the IRGC Navy, it overlaps functions and areas of responsibility with the other navy, but they are distinct in terms of military strategy and equipments. Despite IRGC Navy which is equipped with the small fast attack crafts, backbone of the Artesh navy’s inventory consists of larger surface ships, including frigates and corvettes, and submarines.
The Iranian navy was rebuilt after being almost completely destroyed during the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran in World War II. Following World War II, the fleet began replacing destroyed warships with destroyers, frigates and many smaller vessels, including powerboats and hovercraft, many of which originated from the US and UK, which had played a part in destroying much of the original equipment in World War II. In the 1970s, Iran planned to extend its naval reach into the Indian Ocean; but this goal was curtailed by the Islamic Revolution (1979), and the ensuing western-backed, first Persian Gulf War (Iran–Iraq War) (1980–1988) which left it hampered in the face of the invasion.