Iran Producing Domestically Built Submarine

TEHRAN: Iranian state television has reported the launch of a domestic program to produce a midsize submarine built completely by the state. The submarine program - named Ghaem - was inaugurated by Iranian Defense Minister Gen. Mostafa Mohammed Najjar on August 25.

Because of arms embargoes placed on the revolutionary Islamic regime, Iran is forced to utilize a significant level of resourcefulness within its own defense industry to produce and maintain the bulk of its own military material.

Iran has been in the midst of producing its own coastal class of submarines with - according to the state-run media - a level of success. The first of the Ghadir class was launched in May 2005, with a second purported to have been produced.

The basic characteristics of this class are that their displacement is 120 tons, with a length of 30 meters, and can carry a crew of 32.

The Iranian Navy also has three Kilo class submarines acquired from Russia in the 1990s.