North Korea sent 15 gunboats to Iran last week aboard an Iranian freighter that arrived about the same time that U.S. and Spanish warships temporarily seized a shipment of North Korean Scud missiles. The gunboats included several special forces craft called semi-submersibles, vessels that move just below the surface of the water. The 15 gunboats were carried aboard the Iranian freighter Iran Meead that slipped into the port of Bandar Abbas one day before a North Korean freighter was seized and boarded several hundred miles to the south last week. The gunboats were identified as six Peykaap coastal patrol boats, two Tir gunboats and five Taedong underwater vessels.The Taedong semi-submersibles were further identified as three Taedong-C and two Taedong-B vessels that each carry two, 32-centimeter torpedoes. The small submarines are used in special operations warfare and are a new type of weapon for Iranian naval forces, the officials said. The ship arrived in Bandar Abbas on Dec. 8. U.S. intelligence officials believe Iran could use the gunboat and torpedo craft to threaten U.S. ships in the region.
These Taedong's might be useful against ships at anchor, but I can't see them being a threat to any warship at sea. Besides, semi-submerged means almost sunk. |