Iran’s Revolutionary Guard is nearing completion of a bizarre, but potentially dangerous, variation of an aircraft carrier. The Shahid Bagheri is based on a former 800-foot container ship. A flight deck with a wide addition toward the rear and a ski jump structure at the bow was added to give the vessel barely enough room to launch and recover small aircraft. The betting is that it will be used to extend the reach of the terrorist organization’s already potent combat drone fleet.
What’s not clear is how the massive, yet also relatively small, flight deck will actually work in terms of catapults and arresting systems, if any. Speculation among the bloggers and forum participants is that it will certainly accommodate midsized conventional drones and VTOL aircraft. With the right gear, it might take jets and heavier, more capable drones. There’s also a big rear deck for helicopters and an array of fixed munitions, including cruise missile launchers. It adds up to a potentially worrying escalation of Mideast tensions, particularly with regard to the security of shipping in the region.
