The deployment of Iranian warships to the Antarctic was apparently one of the main goals of a recent mission carried out by the 86th flotilla, which has returned home after circumnavigation of the world.
The 86th flotilla, which has officially broken the record for the distance an Iranian flotilla has sailed in international waters, had sailed through the Strait of Magellan during its mission.
A main purpose of the treacherous journey was to test the strength of the steel hull of the Dena destroyer, which was accompanied by Makran forward base ship in the mission.
The 86th flotilla set sail from south of Iran in early autumn with the purpose of circumnavigating the world. The two vessels of the flotilla berthed at Brazil’s southeastern port city of Rio de Janeiro in February and returned to Iranian waters a few days ago after traveling over 51,000 kilometers in a single mission.
Dena is a Mowj-class warship that joined the Iranian Navy in June 2021. The military vessel is equipped with anti-ship cruise missiles, torpedoes and naval cannons.
The other vessel of the flotilla is Makran, a forward base ship weighing 121,000 tons.
The oil-tanker-turned-warship can carry five helicopters and is employed for providing logistical support for the combat warships.
The Iranian Navy has set up three ocean commands supervising naval missions to the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean.