Islamic Nation's Submarine Combatants:

It is a heartening and well known fact that Islamic countries are prospering day by day and that a few of them have enhanced their security measures so much that their names have been etched in the list of countries that are well equipped militarily. The Islamic nations which have marked their presence in the international military forum are Turkey, Pakistan, and Iran.

These countries, in addition to possessing an impeccable infantry, an admirable air force and other military equipment, also boast of a strong and reliable submarine force for naval combat and defense in times of adversity.

A glut of submarines adorns the martial statuses of the aforesaid nations. The Turkish Navy commands Balao class, Gato class, Oruc Reis class, Tang class and Tench class submarines. Similarly Pakistan controls the PNS Hashmat and PNS Saad and the Iranian Navy boasts of its Ghadir class, Nahang class, Qaaem class and Yono class submarines.

In the past few years, the submarine strengths of the Islamic countries have been reinforced time and again by commissioning of submarine boats by the respective countries’ army.

Of the Islamic states mentioned in the ranking of militarily well-equipped countries, Turkey stands tall and mighty, thanks to its technologically advanced naval warfare techniques. The best submarines of Turkey today are the six French-built corvettes, namely the Bozcaada, Bodrum, Bandirma, Beykoz, Bartin, and Bafra in the period of 2001-03. The country’s latest advent into the turf of thalassic warfare is the construction of a Milgem class corvette called Heybeliada. In addition to these, Turkey also has 14 non-nuclear German designed Type 209 submarines, Koln class frigates, etc.

Next in line of heavily armed Islamic states comes Pakistan, which commands a fleet of eight subs of which five are diesel-electric submarines and the rest are midget subs, namely the PNS/M Khalid, PNS/M Saad, PNS/M Hamza, PNS/M Hasmat, PNS/M Hurmat, etc. Heavily armed with AshMs which can be fired while submerged, these underwater tycoons are a real threat to the Indian Navy vessels.

Despite being a small navy, the Iranian navy is not the least powerless with 20,000 men ready to lay their lives for their motherland, as of the year 2000, equipped with three kilo-class submarines, though these subs are used only to lay mines in undefended waters. Naval mines are however Iran’s specialty and the country is capable of producing non-magnetic, free-floating and remote-controlled mines. In addition to self-made mines, Iran has also sought Russian pressure, acoustic and magnetic mines. A negotiation is on-going between China and Iran for rocket-propelled rising mines. In fact, the navy of the country of Iran is so strong, its strength amplified by the presence of formidable submarines, that the Navy can in fact lay an embargo on transit of ships through the Strait of Hormuz using a encrusted dynamism of KILO class diesel subs.

The increase in availability of submarines to Islamic countries is a definitive indicator of their progress in the area of warfare and defense. We hope to see the same trend continue in the years to come.