IRIS Kharg () was a modified fleet replenishment oiler of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy, named after Kharg Island. Built by Swan Hunter in the United Kingdom and launched in 1977, it was delivered to Iran in 1984. Kharg was Iran's largest naval vessel based on tonnage until the commissioning of in early 2021.
On 2 June 2021, Kharg caught fire and sank near the Iranian town of Jask, some from the Strait of Hormuz, in the Gulf of Oman.
Design
According to the Combat Fleets of the World, the ship was "greatly modified" in comparison to its Ol-class sister ships in service of the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The ship's design was described by Jane's Fighting Ships as "incorporating some of the features" of the class, and fitted to carry dry stores and ammunition in addition to fuel.
Kharg displaced of standard load and up to at full load. It had a gross tonnage of 18,880 and a deadweight tonnage of . According to Jane's the vessel was long, had a beam of and a draft of . The Combat Fleets of the World records the dimensions slightly differently, with , and for length, beam and draft respectively.
Its original installed machinery included a pair of two-drum boilers built by Babcock & Wilcox, that rotated two Westinghouse geared turbine sets. The system was designed to generate 7,000 kW of electricity, and to provide for her single shaft coupled with the propeller. The ship was capable of reaching a nominal top speed of .
Its original navigation radar was manufactured by Decca Radar, a Decca 1229 model working on I-band, while the installed tactical air navigation system was a U.S.-made URN 20. It was also fitted with Inmarsat.
It was armed with an OTO Melara /62 compact gun on its forecastle, as it was designed. The planned armament included two Bofors AA guns, one on the helicopter deck and the other on the forecastle pedestal, that were never installed. It was equipped with four Soviet /80 anti-aircraft autocannons arranged in two twin mounts, as well as two heavy machine guns.
Its crew consisted of 248 officers and men. Kharg had a helipad with twin hangars, giving it sufficient capacity to embark three helicopters.
Operational capabilities
The International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) classified Kharg as an AORH, i.e. fleet replenishment oiler with replenishment at sea (RAS) capability and hangar. Only two other Iranian vessels are capable of conducting RAS operations, the and the long Makran, which was commissioned in 2021.
An assessment published by Stratfor in 2014, mentions that Kharg was an essential long-distance blue-water asset for the IRIN because of its ability to extend the range of Iranian warships, adding that "without this vessel, the small number of Iranian frigates would be unable to embark on extended deployments without consistent and frequent port visits along the way".
Eric H. Arnett, a project leader at Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), commented that Kharg could provide extra operational flexibility for the Iranian fleet and its capacity to carry large and heavy helicopters like the Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King could improve the anti-submarine warfare abilities of the naval group it belonged to.
Christopher Harmer of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) found the ship's ability to lift heavy cargo of particular interest. He argued that in view of the sanctions against Iran, Kharg was potentially ideal for safe transfer of valuable or politically sensitive assets, such as imported military equipment, gold or currency. In such a scenario, Kharg would have been the vessel supported by the warship it accompanied (an escort), rather than vice versa. According to Harmer, the fact that it was a naval vessel would deter foreign navies from an attempt to prevent its operations. After Khargs 2011 visit to Syria via the Suez Canal, U.S. Navy officer Joshua C. Himes opined that "the Kharg will raise suspicion simply due to its logistics capacity and potential to transport weapons/materiel to Iranian surrogates in the region".