Iran Equips Home-Made Destroyer with Chaff-Dispensing System

Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari announced that the chaff and flare-dispensing system used for diverting incoming enemy missiles has been mounted on the country’s advanced home-made destroyer, Damavand.
“The chaff and flare-dispensing system has been mounted on all destroyers and warships which are equipped with missile-launchers, including Damavand destroyer,” Sayyari said on Saturday.

“Any system which has been developed to be used in war will be mounted on all warships after passing the relevant tests successfully and the chaff and flare-dispensing system which is known for diverting incoming missiles is also in this category,” he added.

Last year, the Iranian Navy equipped its home-made Jamaran destroyer with chaff and flare-dispensing systems to divert the missiles fired by other vessels or enemies’ fighter jets.

The system was mounted behind a 76-mm artillery, named Fajr 27, on the deck of the destroyer.

Chaff and flares are passive and defensive countermeasures to confuse and divert radar-guided or infrared-guided missiles fired by enemy aircraft, land launchpads and sites and vessels.

Damavand joined the country’s fleet of warships in the Caspian Sea in March 2015.

In an interview with FNA at the time, Head of the Self-Sufficiency Jihad Department of the Iranian Navy Rear Admiral Ali Qolamzadeh elaborated on the features and specifications of Damavand, and said, “The 7-story destroyer is 90 meters in length and armed with advanced anti-surface and anti-subsurface weapons and air defense systems to defend itself.”

Noting that the home-made ‘Asr’ phased array radar system, capable of detecting and identifying targets with a radar cross section of 4 meters in a 200km distance, had been mounted on the destroyer, he said, “Base-controlled radars, a highly advanced propulsion and command-and-control systems which enjoy high power and capability are only a few of the systems mounted on Damavand destroyer.”

Qolamzadeh said in addition to combat operations, Damavand could also be used for training and naval missions, adding that it had been equipped with systems to be used for electronic warfare.

“The operational radius of Damavand is so vast that it can sufficiently be used for all naval missions in the Caspian Sea,” he underlined.