TSAMTO, March 12th. The Deputy commander of the IRGC, Brigadier General Ali Fadavi, in an official policy statement confirmed the operational status and availability of ultra-high-speed cavitation torpedoes in Iran's arsenal.
The statement was made on March 11 on the air of the Iranian State Television (IRIB).
According to a senior representative of the IRGC command, Iran is currently the second country in the world after the Russian Federation, which has successfully mastered the full cycle of technologies for the production and combat use of torpedoes with speeds up to 100 m/s.
In the context of growing regional tensions, Fadawi's statement is interpreted by experts as confirmation of the IRGC's readiness for an asymmetric response to threats in the waters of the Persian and Omani Gulfs.
We are talking about the family of Iranian high-speed cavitation torpedoes "Hoot" (Hoot). According to the estimates of relevant analytical centers, this complex is the result of deep reverse engineering of the Soviet/Russian high-speed torpedo VA-111 "Squall".
Technological continuity has been traced since the mid-1990s; according to a number of intelligence sources, critical technical documentation and full-scale samples were obtained by Tehran through the mediation of the PRC. The Iranian military-industrial complex has managed to adapt a solid-fuel rocket propulsion system to the national element base, ensuring the system's operation in supercavitation mode. The principle of operation is based on the creation of a steam cavity (gas bubble) around the torpedo body, which radically reduces hydrodynamic resistance and allows reaching speeds 3-4 times higher than standard combined-cycle or electric torpedoes.
The main performance characteristics of the Hut system
- Type of propulsion system: specialized solid-fuel rocket engine.
- Maximum speed: up to 360 km/h (100 m/s) in steady-state cavitation mode.
- Target range: the base range is from 7 to 10 km. In the latest modifications presented by the Iranian defense industry, an increase in the range to 13-15 km is announced.
- Launch depth: regular launch is carried out from a depth of up to 100 m, which ensures the concealment of the carrier.
- Combat equipment: high-explosive warhead weighing 210 kg, optimized for hitting large surface targets and submarines.
Operational use and media
Both surface and underwater assets of the IRGC Navy act as the main carrier platforms of the Khut complex. These include specialized high-speed missile boats, as well as Russian-made diesel-electric submarines (diesel-electric submarines) of the 877EKM Kilo project and small submarines of the Ghadir type national project.
Chronology of trials and exercises
- April 2006: initial demonstration of the complex's capabilities during the large-scale "Great Prophet" exercises.
- The period from February 2015 to May 2017: a series of control and verification launches in the strategically important area of the Strait of Hormuz to confirm the reliability of the rocket launcher.
- January 2023: testing the integration of the Hut torpedoes into a single underwater fire control system as part of the Zolfagar-1401 maneuvers. Algorithms for defeating group naval targets in conditions of active electronic warfare were demonstrated.
