Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 18 / Trend S.Isayev, T. Jafarov/
Iran will release two new submairines of own production, Deputy of Iran's Army commander on research issues Farkhad Amiri said, Fars reported.
Amiri noted that the "Fateh" submarine will be put into operation in the beginning of new Iranian Year (starts on March 21). He also added that its planned to install 12 Sonar on the Fateh submarine.
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels. Two types of technology share the name "sonar": passive sonar is essentially listening for the sound made by vessels; active sonar is emitting pulses of sounds and listening for echoes.
"Its planned to have both passive and active sonar on Fateh submarine," Amiri noted. "Sonar will help the submarine to detect and take active measures against enemy divers and other threats."
Amiri added that after the Fateh submarine is released, Iran plans to start making a 1,200 ton Besat submarine.
He said that the new Besat submarine will be made using new technology.
Sonar may be used as a means of acoustic location and of measurement of the echo characteristics of "targets" in the water. Acoustic location in air was used before the introduction of radar. Sonar may also be used in air for robot navigation, and SODAR (an upward looking in-air sonar) is used for atmospheric investigations.
Iran will equip four submarines (Fateh, Gadir, Tariq and a 1,200 ton Besat submarine) with underwater to surface missile launching systems for land targeting, Amiri said.
Amiri added that another addition that Iranian own made submarines will have fuel-cells.
Fuel-cells are electro-chemical energy converters. The advantage of a fuel-cell system aboard submarines is their air independent operation. They use an energy carrier (e.g. hydrogen or methanol) and an oxidation agent (liquid oxygen/ LOx), all of which are stored on board.
In the fuel cells hydrogen and oxygen are combined to water, thus giving off electricity (DC). Thanks to a very high efficiency, the amount of waste heat is very low. The electric energy produced is then fed to the submarine's main switchboard.
The amount of stored reactants combined with the excellent efficiency of the energy converting fuel cells provide the submarine with a zero-emission, pollution free alternative power source.