Iran launched the "Shahid Mahdavi" on Thursday, its first drone carrier vessel for the Revolutionary Guards' naval forces, as reported by Tasnim news agency in an extensive dispatch featuring images and video footage of the large ship and its aircraft complement. However, military analysts identified numerous technical inconsistencies in the presentation, casting doubt on the ship's actual operational capabilities.
The footage displayed various drone models either airborne or positioned on the vessel's deck, which bears standard naval gray coloring. The carrier features a 590-foot flight deck suitable for small aircraft operations, having been converted from a commercial vessel with the addition of a flight deck.
Released imagery showed three drone variants and four helicopters aboard the vessel, which Iranian authorities claim will extend their strike capabilities well beyond Iranian territorial waters. Revolutionary Guards commander General Hossein Salami stated the ship can conduct "independent operations" without escort vessels. "Iran poses no threat to any nation, but we will not yield to any power," Salami declared.
Yet despite the elaborate presentation and commander's bold claims, online observers quickly identified discrepancies in the released materials. "Iran's boast about launching 24-inch radio-controlled model aircraft from a ship is inadvertently comical. The video later reveals the true scale of the Qaher drone, which is actually ten times larger than shown," military analyst Oliver Alexander posted on X.
Another observer highlighted the conspicuous lack of an arrest system on the "drone carrier's" deck – essential equipment for landing aircraft. The absence of arrest system preparations on the aircraft themselves raises doubts about Iran's capability to conduct launch and recovery operations from the new vessel.
