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DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
March 22, 2013 Friday
IRAN LAUNCHED THE FIRST DESTROYER IN THE CASPIAN SEA
BYLINE: Konstantin Volkov
Source: Izvestia, March 20, 2013, p. 6
[Translated from Russian]
IRAN HOPES FOR REVISION OF THE AGREEMENTS ON DELIMITATION OF THE
SOUTHERN PART OF THE CASPIAN SEA SIGNED DURING THE SOVIET TIME?; The
Iranian navy received the first destroyer in the Caspian Sea.
Jamaran-2 built by the local shipbuilders was launched on March 17.
Henceforth, Jamaran-2 should pass the final tests and will be put into
operation in half a year.
The Iranian navy received the first destroyer in the Caspian Sea.
Jamaran-2 built by the local shipbuilders was launched on March 17.
Henceforth, Jamaran-2 should pass the final tests and will be put into
operation in half a year.
This will be the first destroyer in the Caspian Sea. Although the most
powerful fleet in the region, the Caspian Flotilla, belongs to Russia,
even it does not have destroyers and has only patrol ships. The same
is applicable to Azerbaijan. Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan have only
missile boats.
The destroyer with displacement of 1,420 tons is armed with anti-ship
missiles, surface-to-air and surface-to-surface systems, torpedoes,
two guns, machine guns and radars. The cruising speed is 30 knots.
Vladimir Sazhin, senior research fellow of the institute of eastern
studies of the Russian academy of sciences, explains:
- Iran increases the military presence hoping to take 20% of the
Caspian Sea. Delimitation of the southern part of the sea has not been
done yet, which provides the grounds to Tehran to hope for revision of
the agreements signed during the Soviet time. What is the most
important, oil and gas field Sardar Jangal with reserves estimated at
not less than 2 billion barrels is located under the part of the sea
floor that Iran wants to obtain.
The problem of delimitation of the southern part of the Caspian Sea
became important after breakup of the USSR. Before this, according to
the Soviet-Iranian treaties of 1921 and 1940, Iran had 13.8% of the
sea and all the rest went to the Soviet Union. Between 1998 and 2003,
Russia divided the northern part of the sea with Azerbaijan and
Kazakhstan. However, Tehran, Baku and Ashkhabad cannot reach an
agreement still. Iran wants to divide the sea "justly," that is to
receive 20% like one of the five Caspian countries. Azerbaijan insists
on observance of the former borders. Turkmenistan is inclined towards
this too.
Sazhin says:
- Appearance of the Iranian sea in the Caspian Sea may lead to even
more confident behavior of Tehran in the region.
Incidentally, a few years ago there was already a case when military
sailors of Iran literally drove the Azerbaijani geologists who arrived
to evaluate the situation off Sardar Jangal field. At the beginning of
January of 2013, Minister of Oil Industry of Iran Rustam Kasemi said
that the field represented an independent deposit belonging to Iran.
Relations of Tehran and Baku remain bad. Iranian preachers carry out
active missionary activity among the Azerbaijani population (both
Iranians and Azerbaijanis are Shiites). The secular regime of Baku
does not like this. Azerbaijanis also think that Tehran supports
Armenia.
According to Sazhin, Azerbaijan is increasing forces too. Last year,
it signed a contract worth $1.6 billion with Israel on purchase of
strike unmanned aerial vehicles and anti-ship missiles Gabriel.
Azerbaijan also trains special naval forces armed with super small submarines.
Military expert Dmitry Litovkin explains:
- So far, Iran is objectively stronger than Azerbaijan. It has
aviation and a big quantity of ships and, what is the most important,
Iranian sailors are better trained. However, the armed forces of Baku
oriented at the West develop quickly. Iran is under sanctions and has
to assemble armament on its own in conditions of deficit, which
definitely has effect on quality of its hardware.
[Translated from Russian]
From: A. Papazian
March 22, 2013 Friday
IRAN LAUNCHED THE FIRST DESTROYER IN THE CASPIAN SEA
BYLINE: Konstantin Volkov
Source: Izvestia, March 20, 2013, p. 6
[Translated from Russian]
IRAN HOPES FOR REVISION OF THE AGREEMENTS ON DELIMITATION OF THE
SOUTHERN PART OF THE CASPIAN SEA SIGNED DURING THE SOVIET TIME?; The
Iranian navy received the first destroyer in the Caspian Sea.
Jamaran-2 built by the local shipbuilders was launched on March 17.
Henceforth, Jamaran-2 should pass the final tests and will be put into
operation in half a year.
The Iranian navy received the first destroyer in the Caspian Sea.
Jamaran-2 built by the local shipbuilders was launched on March 17.
Henceforth, Jamaran-2 should pass the final tests and will be put into
operation in half a year.
This will be the first destroyer in the Caspian Sea. Although the most
powerful fleet in the region, the Caspian Flotilla, belongs to Russia,
even it does not have destroyers and has only patrol ships. The same
is applicable to Azerbaijan. Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan have only
missile boats.
The destroyer with displacement of 1,420 tons is armed with anti-ship
missiles, surface-to-air and surface-to-surface systems, torpedoes,
two guns, machine guns and radars. The cruising speed is 30 knots.
Vladimir Sazhin, senior research fellow of the institute of eastern
studies of the Russian academy of sciences, explains:
- Iran increases the military presence hoping to take 20% of the
Caspian Sea. Delimitation of the southern part of the sea has not been
done yet, which provides the grounds to Tehran to hope for revision of
the agreements signed during the Soviet time. What is the most
important, oil and gas field Sardar Jangal with reserves estimated at
not less than 2 billion barrels is located under the part of the sea
floor that Iran wants to obtain.
The problem of delimitation of the southern part of the Caspian Sea
became important after breakup of the USSR. Before this, according to
the Soviet-Iranian treaties of 1921 and 1940, Iran had 13.8% of the
sea and all the rest went to the Soviet Union. Between 1998 and 2003,
Russia divided the northern part of the sea with Azerbaijan and
Kazakhstan. However, Tehran, Baku and Ashkhabad cannot reach an
agreement still. Iran wants to divide the sea "justly," that is to
receive 20% like one of the five Caspian countries. Azerbaijan insists
on observance of the former borders. Turkmenistan is inclined towards
this too.
Sazhin says:
- Appearance of the Iranian sea in the Caspian Sea may lead to even
more confident behavior of Tehran in the region.
Incidentally, a few years ago there was already a case when military
sailors of Iran literally drove the Azerbaijani geologists who arrived
to evaluate the situation off Sardar Jangal field. At the beginning of
January of 2013, Minister of Oil Industry of Iran Rustam Kasemi said
that the field represented an independent deposit belonging to Iran.
Relations of Tehran and Baku remain bad. Iranian preachers carry out
active missionary activity among the Azerbaijani population (both
Iranians and Azerbaijanis are Shiites). The secular regime of Baku
does not like this. Azerbaijanis also think that Tehran supports
Armenia.
According to Sazhin, Azerbaijan is increasing forces too. Last year,
it signed a contract worth $1.6 billion with Israel on purchase of
strike unmanned aerial vehicles and anti-ship missiles Gabriel.
Azerbaijan also trains special naval forces armed with super small submarines.
Military expert Dmitry Litovkin explains:
- So far, Iran is objectively stronger than Azerbaijan. It has
aviation and a big quantity of ships and, what is the most important,
Iranian sailors are better trained. However, the armed forces of Baku
oriented at the West develop quickly. Iran is under sanctions and has
to assemble armament on its own in conditions of deficit, which
definitely has effect on quality of its hardware.
[Translated from Russian]
From: A. Papazian