on its own after Russia refused to sell it parts or blueprints.
The Russians scoffed at the claim. Russian officials have a long history of denigrating Iranian skills. For example, several Russian officials over the years have said US claims that Iran is trying to build nuclear weapons are pure poppycock because Iranians aren’t smart enough to do that.
The overhaul claim was announced by Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, the commander of the Iranian Navy. “At first it was a very difficult task,” he said. “But with perseverance and determination, our Navy proved that it was a doable task.”
The Islamic Republic bought three Kilo-class diesel submarines from Russia in the 1990s. The one Sayyari said was overhauled was the Tareq, the oldest of the trio.
Sayyari said an Iranian shipyard replaced numerous parts, including engine components and the diving system, and the ailerons, propellers, pumps and electronic units. All the replacement parts were made in Iran because Russia had refused to sell Iran the parts. “They insisted that the submarine’s repair be carried out in their country’s shipyard,” he said.
Sayyari said the Islamic Republic refused to do that because it seeks military independence—and also because, “if we had returned this submarine to its manufacturer, perhaps we would not have had the Tareq returned.” That was a surprising—and undiplomatic—statement of distrust of Moscow.
In Russia, a source in the Russian defense industry told the Interfax news service, “The declaration is most likely bluff, pure advertising of Iran’s industrial might launched in the framework of the media war with the US and Israel.”
The source said, “Iranian experts could not independently carry out full-scale repairs of the diesel engines, sonar, communication and several other systems involving the replacement of large components and mechanisms. Neither could they have imported serious large-scale equipment as spares for replacing the components with an expired service life.”
At the same time, the source found it possible that Iran could have “refreshed the service life of diesel engines, fixed the pumps of the submersion [diving] system, smoothed the propellers and carried out certain other operations, especially if Russian, Ukrainian, Azeri or other foreign experts offered assistance as private individuals in circumvention of the embargo.”
He said, “Iran has close ties with Azerbaijan, the citizens of which … still maintain contacts with colleagues from Russia, Ukraine and other [former Soviet] countries. We know for sure that these Azeris, acting in the interests of Iran, contacted their Russian and Ukrainian friends seeking various types of assistance, including technical,” the source said. “Maybe it worked this time,” he said.
Putting together what Sayyari and the Russian source said, it appeared the Russians were conceding Iran could accomplish much of what Sayyari claimed, but that that would be far short of overhauling the sub to make it fit for more years of sailing.
The Iranian Navy bought three submarines of the Varshavyanka class (known as Kilo-class in NATO terminology). All of them were built at the Admiralty Shipyard in St. Petersburg. The Tareq was transferred to Iran in 1992, the Noor in 1993 and the Yunes in 1996. The Russians say the working life of at least the first two has expired and they require overhaul.