Posted on 04/05/2006 4:52:43 AM PDT by Flavius
Whilst Teherans envoys try to convince the whole world that Iranian atomic energy is the most peaceful on the planet, and analysts guess whether Iran or Israel will be the first to try to erase the other from the political map, the Iranian military decided to flex its muscles somewhat. Last Friday large-scale naval exercises known as The Great Prophet began in the region of the Persian and Oman Gulfs, in which more than 17 thousand soldiers, about 1500 battleships, support aircraft, airborne interceptors, bombers, helicopters and missile installations were employed. As Iranian naval commander Morteza Safari declared, These manoeuvres are being carried out to act as a counter-measure in the psychological war which has been unleashed against Iran, and to increase the defense capabilities of our army.
Aerofoil boat, similar to one tested by Iran Aerofoil boat, similar to one tested by Iran
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See the photo report of Iran's military tests here
Since then not a day has passed without state television IRI reporting on the testing of the latest type of super-weapon which has been developed by local inventors. So Tuesdays main surprise was the mysterious flying ghost-ship. According to official sources, the way the ships body has been constructed means that it cannot be detected by sea and air-based radar systems. The ship itself is capable of rising above the surface of the water and is armed with missiles which are able to home in on their target with great accuracy even while the ship is moving. It is claimed that this technological miracle was developed and constructed from start to finish in Iran.
Russian military experts believe that this patchy description does not conceal a ship lying on an air cushion, but a military aerofoil boat a flying machine capable of rising up into the air due to the so-called surface effect which involves streamlining the surface of the machine whilst in motion in close contact to the surface of the water. Thanks to this effect aerofoil boats have a significantly larger cargo-carrying capacity than an ordinary aeroplane. There was a similar type of machine in the Soviet naval forces, called the Eaglet.
Meanwhile, on Sunday Teheran announced the successful tests of the world's quickest torpedo, capable of reaching speeds of over 100 m/sec. As the Iranian military declared, not a single army in the world is able to defend itself against this underwater missile. However, it soon emerged that this weapon is not particularly new, and most importantly, in no way originated in Iran. International experts admitted that the torpedo was developed in the Soviet Union it is called Tornado and does indeed travel at extremely high speeds, but is accurate only up to a range of 7km, which is more often than not insufficient for the demands of modern military action.
Aerofoil boat, similar to one tested by Iran Aerofoil boat, similar to one tested by Iran
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According to one version, Iran was able to get hold of the Tornado from Kyrgyzstan it was there that these torpedoes were tested, on Lake Issyk-Kul, during Soviet times. After the Unions collapse, experts think that Kyrgyzstan might have sold armaments to China, which in turn supplied them to Iran. However, Kanybek Tabaldiev, a senior representative of the Kirghiz company which produces torpedoes and other military technology, categorically denied the involvement of the Kirghiz military-industrial complex in selling modern weapons technology to Iran.
Source: Utro
Translated by James Platt
Aerofoil boat, similar to one tested by Iran
So what's the deal about Condi?
Never mind. :) I don't want to know. :)
Well that reads like, well, Pravda.
I think 1500 battleships would make for quite a crowd in the Persian Gulf...but we all know that Pravda never exaggerates.
The fact the story starts with a word like "whilst", or that Iran plans on using the daring Natalie Portman and Condi's sexual worries as weapons against us.
Dang! There goes the Pentagons plans to build underwater bases for our troops.
It has become obvious that the Iranians are no mere madcap muslims.
Thanks for the laugh
Who else is reminded of the German Wartime propaganda 1944 onwards where the German people were bombarded with stories of the secret weapons that were being developed and would turn the tide of war against the Allies.
BTW, it must have been a riot to see the first large-scale Iranian military excercise in history... I imagine the event to be much like the free-for-all boating scene on any busy lake on Fourth of July weekend.
Here's how they pulled it off. Super secret spy images from the Iranian naval war games.
1500 battleships? lol....I'd be surprised if they had 15. Same old Pravda. The Russians are getting comically desperate in their attempts to keep us from taking care of business in the Gulf.
Is this related to the legendary "Indian Ghost-Dance Shirt" that made them invulnerable to Army bullets?
"1500 battleships, support aircraft, airborne interceptors, bombers, helicopters and missile installations were employed"
I think the number 1500 applies to all those categories of armaments, not just to the first one.
In Pravdaspeak, "battleship" = dinghy
rowboat with a liferaft and an ak-47 is ready for battle, hence a "battleship"
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