Aerial photo of IRIS Shahid Bagheri in 2025
History
Iran
Name Shahid Bagheri
Namesake Bahman Bagheri
Operator Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
Builder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, South Korea[1]
Completed 2000
Commissioned 6 February 2025
Refit 2022–2024
Home port Bandar Abbas
Identification
  • Pennant number: C110-4[2]
  • Code letters:
Status Damaged/sunk
General characteristics
Class & type Drone carrier
Displacement 41,978 t (41,315 long tons)
Length 240.79 m (790 ft 0 in)[3]
Beam 32.2 m (105 ft 8 in)
Draft 11.7 m (38 ft 5 in)
Installed power 20,000 kW (27,000 hp)
Speed 22 kn (41 km/h; 25 mph)
Endurance 1,000 days
Armament
  • 1 × 30 mm autocannon
  • 8 × Noor or Qader anti-ship missiles
  • 8 × Kowsar-222 SAMs
Aircraft carried Able to carry different types of helicopters (e.g. Bell-412) and UAVs (e.g. JAS-313)[4]
Aviation facilities Helicopter landing deck

IRIS Shahid Bagheri (Persian: شهید باقری) is a drone carrier operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Navy.[2] It is the result of the 2022–2024 conversion of the container ship Perarin, to which was added an angled flight deck with a ski-jump, in the manner of light aircraft carriers.[5] It is named after Shahid Bahman Bagheri, an IRGC commander who died in Pathak, Iraq, in a clash of the Iran–Iraq war.[6]

The ship is the first full-service UAV carrier of the IRGC Navy. It was launched at sea for the first sea trials from her home port of Bandar Abbas sometime around 28 November 2024. Her launch underscored Tehran's efforts to project its power overseas, far beyond nearby waters.[7] It was commissioned on 6 February 2025.[8]

On 2 March 2026, the United States Central Command announced that the ship had been struck by U.S. forces[9][10] amidst the 2026 Iran War.[11][12]

History

Shahid Bagheri (C-110-4) was previously the container ship Perarin (IMO number: 9209350) from South Korea.[13][4][14] The conversion was first spotted on 3 January 2023 in an Iranian dockyard.[15] The most notable feature was an angled flight deck being constructed. On 21 August 2024, the first clear images of the aircraft carrier were posted on Telegram and then to Twitter.[2]

These posts quickly went viral with many different defense experts comparing the design to HMS Furious.[citation needed] The carrier became viral once again because of reports of Iranian drones off the coast of New Jersey.[16][17]

Representative Jeff Van Drew, a member of the United States Congress' House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, claimed that Iran was operating a drone mother ship off the coast of New Jersey. The same day, multiple images of Shadid Bagheri off the coast of Iran were revealed, proving that the carrier was still busy with sea trials.

Operational history

Sea trials for Shahid Bagheri began on 13 November 2024[7] leaving Iran Shipbuilding & Offshore Industries Complex, just west of the southern port city of Bandar Abbas. The full reveal of the ship took place on 6 February 2025, showing a full flight deck of Ababil-3N carrier drones, new stealth drones called the JAS-313, Bell 206 helicopters, Mi-171 helicopters, Homa VTOL drones and a Mohajer-6 drone. A fully working hospital was revealed as well. The carrier has a fully functioning soccer field.[18]

The carrier has the ability to deploy over 30 fast attack craft from inside the ship. This would be the first fixed-wing drone carrier ever made specifically for drones. Footage broadcast by Iranian state TV on the inauguration showed at least four helicopters and three drones on the warship's flight deck.

Chief of the IRGC, General Hossein Salami, said at the ceremony that the warship can travel "independently" at sea for up to one year. The report said the ship also has a hospital and facilities such as a gym for its crew.[19] According to limited open-source information, the carrier is capable of deploying various types of small unmanned aerial vehicles and air defense missiles. It is reportedly equipped with short- and medium-range air defense systems, intelligence-gathering equipment, and a flight control tower. In addition to featuring ESM and SIGINT capabilities, Admiral Tangsiri stated at the ceremony that the carrier can also deploy and operate "guided subsurface vessels."[20]

On 2 March 2026, the United States Central Command announced that the ship had been struck by U.S. forces amidst the 2026 Iran conflict.[11][21][12]

Specifications and capabilities

According to Alireza Tangsiri, Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, the vessel, with seaworthiness up to Force 9 (oceans) and an operational range of 22,000 nautical miles (41,000 km; 25,000 mi) (offshore), enables presence and operations for a year without the need for refueling in distant waters.[22][19]

With a 180-meter-long runway for drones, the vessel can travel up to 22,000 nautical miles without needing to refuel in ports. The report said it was converted from a commercial ship and would increase Iran’s power of deterrence. The ship is also equipped with eight cruise anti-ship missiles, eight multipurpose Kowsar-222 missiles, a turret with a 30mm automatic cannon, two 20mm Gatling-type cannons (unconfirmed) and two RC turrets with 20mm Gatling-type cannons.[23]

Shahid Bagheri was built in two years and is equipped with a drone fueling station, a floatplane, and helicopters, as well as short- and medium-range air defense systems, intelligence equipment, and a flight control tower. Additional features include the capability to carry and operate various types of drones and guided subsurface vessels, the ability to identify different types of electronic signals for electronic warfare and full SIGINT, long-range surface-to-surface cannons and weapons, long-range surface-to-surface cruise missiles, and the capacity to engage various types of small aircraft and air defense missiles. It is also equipped with a runway that is 180 metres (590 ft 7 in) long.[22]

See also

  • IRIS Shahid Roudaki
  • IRIS Shahid Mahdavi

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to IMO 9209350.
  1. ^ Shapira, Boaz (2025-02-06). "Iran Launches "Shahid Behman Bagheri" UAV carrier". Alma Research and Education Center. Retrieved 2025-02-20.
  2. ^ a b c Newdick, Thomas (2024-08-21). "Iran's Bizarre 'Aircraft Carrier' Seen In New Detail". The War Zone. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
  3. ^ IRIS Shahid Bagheri (C110-4)
  4. ^ a b Sutton, H. I. (14 December 2024). "Guide To Iran's Navy & IRGC's Drone Carriers, Forward Base Ships, and Covert Intelligence Ships". Covert Shores. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  5. ^ Blin, Denis (2024-08-29). "L'Iran aurait terminé de transformer un deuxième porte-conteneurs en porte-aéronefs". Le marin (in French). Retrieved 2024-12-13.
  6. ^ "Shahid Bahman Bagheri - IRGCN drone carrier". Global Security. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
  7. ^ a b Epstein, Jake (5 December 2024). "Satellite images show Iran's new drone carrier has set sail, leaving its home port for the first time". Business Insider. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  8. ^ Ozberk, Tayfun (2025-02-06). "Iran accepts delivery of homegrown drone carrier 'Shahid Bahman Bagheri'". Naval News. Retrieved 2025-02-09.
  9. ^ Fabian, Emanuel (2026-03-02). "US says it struck Iranian naval drone carrier during the opening strikes on Saturday". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 2026-03-05.
  10. ^ "'Today they have ZERO...': Iranian 'mothership' Shahid Bagheri gone | VIDEO". Wion. Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  11. ^ a b @CENTCOM (March 2, 2026). "🚫The Iranian regime's false messaging machine continues to falsely claim that it has sunk a U.S. aircraft carrier. ✅The TRUTH: The only carrier that has been hit is the Shahid Bagheri, an Iranian drone carrier. U.S. forces struck the ship within hours of launching Operation Epic Fury" (Tweet). Retrieved 3 March 2026 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  12. ^ a b Tayfun Ozberk (6 March 2026). "CENTCOM Releases Footage Showing Strike on Iran's Drone Carrier". Naval News. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  13. ^ "PERARIN, Container Ship - Details and current position - IMO 9209350". VesselFinder. Retrieved 2025-02-19.
  14. ^ "PERARIN, IMO 9209350". BalticShipping. Retrieved 2025-02-20.
  15. ^ LeGrone, Sam (3 January 2023). "Iran Building Drone Aircraft Carrier from Converted Merchant Ship, Photos Show". USNI News. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  16. ^ Epstein, Jake (12 December 2024). "Satellite images show Iran's drone carriers are nowhere near the US as New Jersey faces a mystery drone problem". Business Insider. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  17. ^ Payne, Greg; Wilson, Brian (11 December 2024). "'Iranian mothership' behind mystery drone sightings, New Jersey congressman suggests". Fox 29 News. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  18. ^ @IranDefense (6 February 2025). "The IRGC-N has commissioned the Shahid Bahman Bagheri drone carrier" (Tweet). Retrieved 9 February 2025 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  19. ^ a b "Iran inaugurates its first drone-carrier warship". AP News. 2025-02-06. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
  20. ^ "IRGC Navy's Drone Carrier A Mobile Maritime Platform for Drone, Helicopter Missions". Tasnim News Agency. 2025-02-06. Retrieved 2025-02-09.
  21. ^ Timotija, Filip (5 March 2026). "US military sets Iranian drone carrier ship on fire". The Hill. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  22. ^ a b "درباره ناو پهپادبر شهید باقری چه می دانیم؟" [What do we know about Shahid Bagheri drone carrier?]. TABNAK (in Persian). 2025-02-06. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
  23. ^ Çetiner, Yusuf (2025-02-13). "From Cargo Ship to Drone Carrier: IRGC Navy Commissioned Shahid Bahman Bagheri into Service". Overt Defense. Retrieved 2026-03-03.