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May 3, 2011: Iran's second domestically built large warship, the 1,400 ton Vilayet (the second ship of the Jamaran class), will be stationed in the Caspian Sea. Iran is trying to expand its growing (slowly) naval power on all its coasts (Caspian Sea, Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean). Thus, for the last three years, Iran has had one or more of its few surface warships working with the international anti-piracy patrol off Somalia. This was the first time since the 1970s that the Iranian Navy has conducted sustained operations outside its coastal waters. Despite their own Islamic radical government, the Iranian sailors have got along with the other members of the patrol, including the United States (which is officially the "Great Satan" back home). Encouraged by this, Iran announced that it would send more of its warships off to distant areas, mainly to show the world that Iran was a naval power capable of such reach.

Technically, the Iranians can pull this off, but just barely. And this is mainly because, in the last decade, Iran has been building some larger warships. Not really large, but big enough to take trips across the Indian Ocean. A year ago, for example, the Iranian Navy sent its first domestically built destroyer, the Jamaran, to sea. This was the "destroyer" that Iran announced it was building four years ago. In fact, it's a 1,400 ton corvette. The new ship has a crew of 140, and is equipped with anti-aircraft, (one 40mm and two 20mm cannon, four small miss... >>>