IRIS Gardouneh

IRIS Gardouneh (Persian: گردونه, lit. 'Roulette') is a Kaman-class fast attack craft in the Southern Fleet of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy.

Gardouneh in 2001
History
Iran
Name	Gardouneh
Operator	Islamic Republic of Iran Navy
Ordered	19 February 1974
Builder	Constructions de Mécaniques, Cherbourg
Laid down	18 October 1976
Launched	23 February 1978
Commissioned	11 September 1978
Status	In service
General characteristics (as built)
Class & type	Kaman-class fast attack craft
Displacement	249 tons standard 275 tons full load
Length	47 m (154 ft 2 in)
Beam	7.1 m (23 ft 4 in)
Draft	1.9 m (6 ft 3 in)
Installed power	4 × MTU 16V538 TB91 diesels, 14,400 brake horsepower (10.7 MW)
Propulsion	4 × shafts
Speed	36 knots (67 km/h)
Range	2,000 miles (3,200 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h); 700 miles (1,100 km) at 33.7 knots (62.4 km/h)
Complement	30
Armament	4 × Harpoon (single cell) 1 × 76mm/65 (single compact) 1 × 40mm/70 Bofors gun
Notes	As reported by Jane's (1979)[1]

Construction and commissioning

Gardouneh was built by French Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie at Cherbourg, as one of the first six contracted on 19 February 1974.^[2] Her keel was laid down on 18 October 1976 and on 23 February 1978, she was launched.^[2] Gardouneh was commissioned into the fleet on 11 September 1978.^[2]

Service history

During Iran-Iraq War, her home port was Bushehr Naval Base.^[3] On 28 October 1980, Gardouneh and her sister ships Paykan and Joshan were deployed to attack Iraqi oil facilities at al-Faw, supported by a Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King.^[4] The operation was repeated again on October 31 by the same naval group. However, in this operation Iranian vessels were engaged with three Iraqi Osa-class missile boats, that fired Styx missiles at them and drew back with maximum speed.^[4] Gardouneh and the two other vessels managed to avoid the missiles but could not retaliate.^[4]