Iranian Navy Raises Capsized Frigate Sahand From the Water

On Friday night, the Iranian Navy raised the capsized frigate Sahand from the water at the port of Bandar Abbas, according to state media. 

Using a large floating crane from Iran Shipbuilding and Offshore Industries Complex (ISOICO), along with engineering units, the Iranian Navy carried out a parbuckling operation to right the vessel. The claim of a successful full refloat attempt could not immediately be verified. 

The frigate capsized on July 7 during repair work alongside the pier at the ISOICO yard. The cause was accidental flooding related to "water seepage" into unspecified tanks, according to the Iranian Navy.  

The service still hopes to repair the vessel and return it to front-line operations. However, saltwater immersion quickly damages electronic and mechanical systems, and a replacement vessel is often a less costly option. When the Norwegian frigate Helge Ingstad partially sank in 2018, she was recovered in one piece - but was scrapped due to the high cost of removing and replacing all of her saltwater-damaged mission systems. If the Iranian Navy opts for repairs, it could be months (or longer) before the vessel returns to service.

Sahand frigate seen with 5x Sayyad launchers which are officially confirmed to be carrying Sayyad-3, giving it 120km range of protection against aerial threats. pic.twitter.com/aTzQ0o3JGd

— A??? (@AmirIGM) March 6, 2024

While unconfirmed, open-source intelligence discussions suggest that weight growth from recent weapon upgrades above the main deck (above) could have reduced the vessel's stability. Changes during the yard period - for example, draining Sahand's tanks for repair work - could also have left the vessel top-heavy if not appropriately managed. 

Sister ship IRIS Damavand sank in the Caspian in January 2018 after hitting a breakwater at the port of Bandar-e Anzali. Damavand was damaged beyond repair and never returned to service. Another sister ship, the brand-new IRIS Talayieh, fell off its blocks during drydock float-out in December 2021.