Iranian subs in Hormuz are not undetectable: US Naval analyst

Iran’s Ghadir-class submarines may be quieter than their conventional counterparts, but are not invisible, an analyst says.

By World Israel News Staff

Iranian submarines equipped with stealth technology and operating in the Strait of Hormuz are not as undetectable as Tehran claims, according to a senior American naval defense analyst.

In recent days, Iranian naval officials have boasted about deploying Ghadir-class mini-submarines, which they say pose a potentially deadly threat to vessels attempting to break Iran’s blockade of the strategically vital maritime passageway.

But defense analyst Tom Shugart offered a different assessment of the threat posed by the vessels.

Shugart, who previously served as a U.S. Navy submarine warfare officer, explained that although the submarines are relatively small and designed for covert activity, they can still be detected by conventional naval forces without requiring especially advanced technology.

“If they run their diesel engines to snorkel and recharge batteries, that could generate sound that could be detected,” Shugart told Fox News Digital.

“Their snorkel mast projecting from the water could be detected by radars on patrol aircraft or helicopters,” he continued.

Shugart stressed that while the vessels are advanced, they remain constrained by operational and logistical limitations that could expose them to enemy forces.

“While they may be able to sit on the bottom for a while and operate somewhat quietly on their batteries…they have no air-independent propulsion system (AIP) like more modern diesel-electric submarines,” Shugart explained.

Eventually, the submarines “have to come up and snorkel,” he said. “This will make them more vulnerable to detection and destruction.”

Despite his skepticism regarding Iran’s claims, Shugart did not dismiss the submarines as harmless.

While he said the mini-subs are not a “serious threat to U.S. Navy warships” or submarines, he warned that they could still be used to lay naval mines or attack commercial vessels transiting the narrow waterway.

“I can say for sure that I wouldn’t want to go out [to the Strait of Hormuz] in the current environment,” Shugart added.