The Alvand class (Saam class frigate or the 'Vosper Mk 5 type) comprise four Iranian light patrol frigates. Only three are currently in service.
All four ships were originally named after characters from Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, but after the Islamic Revolution they were renamed after mountains in Iran.
The United Kingdom built all four ships which were originally armed with nine Sea Cat anti-air missiles and five Sea Killer anti-ship missiles. The Iranian Navy has since replaced these missiles with Chinese equivalents.
One Alvand-class frigate, the Sahand, was sunk by U.S. forces during Operation Praying Mantis in 1988 after unsuccessfully firing upon an A-6 Intruder flying from the USS Enterprise. It was then struck by Harpoon missiles from this aircraft, and then a coordinated Harpoon attack from its wingman and a nearby surface ship (USS Joseph Strauss DDG-16).
| General characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Displacement: | 1,100 tons (1,540 tons full load) |
| Length: | 94.5 m (310 ft) |
| Beam: | 11.07 m (36 ft) |
| Draft: | 3.25 m (10.5 ft) |
| Propulsion: | 2 Paxman Ventura cruising diesels 3,800 bhp, and 2 Rolls Royce Olympus TM-3A boost gas turbines 46,000 shp (34,000 kW) on 2 shafts |
| Speed: | 17 knots (31 km/h) on diesels39 knots (72 km/h) on gas turbines |
| Range: | 5,000 nmi (9,000 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h) |
| Complement: | 125-146 |
| Armament: | 4 x C-802 anti-ship missiles 1 × 4.5 inch (114 mm) Mark 8 gun 1 x twin 35 mm AAA, 2 x single 20 mm AAA 2 × 81 mm mortars 2 × 0.50cal machine guns 1 x Limbo ASW mortar 2 x triple 12.75 in torpedo tubes |
