iranian warships

[Trucker001]

 just read in the yahoo news that 2 iranian warships are to transit the suez canal .. anyone hear about this?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110218/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_egypt_iranian_warships

[Emiliyan]

Hi Trucker001,
I heard about this two days ago in our(bulgarian)web news, but was only in few line and nothing was confirmed. The we though that this news can be true only in some editor's imagination , but how I can see now this should be true.
BRGS
Emiliyan

[Fred Vloo]

They where not in the Thursday 06:00 group that enters the Suezcanal every morning. Later that day the whole passage of these vessels was cancelled.

However today BBC comes with this news: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12493614

Egypt allows Iranian warships 'can use Suez Canal' but the ships can hardly be called warships

[Chris Howell]

The article states a frigate and a supply ship will pass through the Suez Canal.

Last time I looked in Janes a frigate is a warship.

A supply ship is of course an auxuliary.

[BobS]

There was no need for that rather arrogant sarcasm, Chris!
Could you have made a comment like Fred's in a language other than your own?
In the meantime, Fred, I knew what you meant!
Whether or not the Iranian ships actually do transit the canal into the Med, the crazy Iranian regime has already achieved a massive 'wind-up' of both the Israelis and the Yanks, simply by intimating that they want to come through (for the first time since the Ayatollah came to power).
They are perfectly legally entitled to do so providing they give the required notice and, unless there is a state of war, Egypt cannot stop them.

[Gulfspan]

That neck of the woods is a powdwer keg..Iranians probably just want to see who's in charge..An Egyptian military or an Egyptian Military with USA strings..They were probing is all..All Hell is gonna break loose over there...
USA with an ivested interst in Isreal and Egypt
Russia with invested interst with Iran ..

Isreal and Iran are just prostitutes for the pimps ..One would have to be blind not to see the game played there..

[jimbo123]

All Hell is gonna break loose over there...

... and I have freight abroad a ship due to transit Suez on Feb 28.

Great timing, eh? 

[Kelvin Davies]

There was no need for that rather arrogant sarcasm, Chris!
Could you have made a comment like Fred's in a language other than your own?
In the meantime, Fred, I knew what you meant!
Whether or not the Iranian ships actually do transit the canal into the Med, the crazy Iranian regime has already achieved a massive 'wind-up' of both the Israelis and the Yanks, simply by intimating that they want to come through (for the first time since the Ayatollah came to power).
They are perfectly legally entitled to do so providing they give the required notice and, unless there is a state of war, Egypt cannot stop them.

Well said Bob,
Actually Fred may be more "right" than we think. According to the Iranians, neither ship will be carrying military equipment.
A warship without military equipment is not much of a warship!
In the 1960s, when I was posted to Aden, I flew out there but a number of my mates travelled as passengers on HMS Fearless, on what was her first operational tour.
Although the Egyptians were not very keen on us, given that the Suez fiasco had occurred not too many years previously and we were fighting Nasser by proxy in Yemen at the time, it was a bit surprising that they were allowed through the canal. What was less surprising was that the Suez transit was made with a soldier at the side of the pilot throughout the passage, with loaded weapon pointed in the direction of the pilot!
Kelvin

[Chris Howell]

Sorry Fred

Bob is right I was rather blunt

Bob

Considering the comments you have posted in the forum over the past few months, really a case of the pot calling the kettle black !

[Fred Vloo]

It's okee Chris,

I should have been more specific. I tried to find this ship on Equasis and if it is the one I found, it is a 40 year old frigate and according to the Iranians it does not have any military equipment aboard, something that can be checked quiet easily.

Cheers
Fred

[Bjarne Pettersen]

I won't get into a discussion on Alvands operational capacities but this is what her capacities are iaw Janes:

Missiles:
SSM: 
4 China C-802 
Guns:
1 Vickers 4.5 in
2 Oerlikon 35 mm/90 (twin)
3 Oerlikon GAM-BO1 20 mm
2-12.7 mm MGs. 
Torpedoes: 
6-324 mm Mk 32 (2 triple)tubes
A/S mortars: 
1-3-tubed Limbo Mk 10

[BobS]

Although the Iranian propaganda machine is saying that the ALVAND is already in the Med, somewhat more-reliable, Egyptian sources indicate that it and its support ship have not yet entered the canal.
It is thought that - if at all - the Iranian ships will transit the canal tomorrow (Monday) morning.

ALVAND (ex-SAAM) was built for the Shah of Iran's navy in 1971 by Vosper Thornycroft, Woolston, Southampton.

[Fred Vloo]

The ships will now enter the canal at Wednesday.

Cheers Fred

[BobS]

And so the great Iranian wind-up (of Israel and the US) goes on . . . and on.
What's the betting odds that they do not arrive even on Wednesday?

[Kelvin Davies]

The ships will now enter the canal at Wednesday.

Cheers Fred

Fred,
They sneaked in a day early!
BBC is this morning reporting they have entered the canal at 03:45 GMT, quoting Egyptian sources:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12533803
Kelvin