Tasnim� A senior commander of the Iranian Navy said three helicopters dubbed �SH-3 Sea King� and a hovercraft named �BH7� have been added to the Navy�s fleet.





In a ceremony attended by Iran's Army Commander Major General Ataollah Salehi, the three choppers joined the Navy�s fleet, the commander said in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas.

He said the choppers have been upgraded by the Iranian technicians, adding that the torpedo-launching system (TLS) and Sonar (Sound Navigation and Ranging) systems have been installed on the aircraft for the first time.

According to the commander, the upgrade of each of the helicopters took 56,000 man-hours.

He went on to say that a BH7 hovercraft has also been added to the Navy�s fleet after taking 16,000 man-hours for upgrading.

Iran has in recent years made great headways in manufacturing, overhauling and upgrading a broad range of military equipment, including the air defense systems that use cutting edge technologies.

Tehran has repeatedly stated that its military might is defensive in nature and poses no threat to other countries.