Naval Systems

Peykaap / Zolfaghar missile boat

Also known as
  • Peykaap
  • Peykaap I
  • Peykaap II
  • Peykaap III
  • Bavar
  • Bavar missile boat
  • Zoljenah
  • IPS-16
  • Peykaap-class boat
  • Peykaap-class missile boat
  • Zolfaghar-class missile boat
  • Zolfaghar missile boat
  • Zulfiqar missile boat
  • Zolfaqar missile boat

The Peykaap and Zolfaghar missile-boat family covers North Korean IPS-16-derived Iranian fast attack craft adapted for torpedo or anti-ship missile attack. Official and specialist references place Peykaap I torpedo boats, Peykaap II/Bavar missile boats, and Peykaap III/Zolfaghar missile boats inside the IRGC Navy small-craft inventory, with Kowsar/TL-10, Zafar, and Nasr/C-704-family missile fits on the missile variants. Current Strait of Hormuz reporting discusses IRGCN small-boat swarms and missile threats, but public sources reviewed for this entry did not identify a Peykaap/Zolfaghar hull in a specific 2026 engagement.

Peykaap / Zolfaghar missile boat, Fast attack craft / missile boat, Naval Systems
Image source: Joint Naval Parade Bandar Abbas (4).jpg
Profile / Specs

Specifications

Representative displacement
About 13.75-14 t in public Peykaap/IPS-16 and Peykaap III references
Representative length
About 16.3 m for Peykaap/IPS-16 references
Representative beam
About 3.8 m for Peykaap/IPS-16 references
Representative draft
About 0.67-0.7 m in public references
Representative crew
3 in public Peykaap/IPS-16 references
Representative speed
About 50-52 kt in public references
Representative endurance
About 320 nmi in public Peykaap/IPS-16 references
Torpedo armament
Two 324 mm torpedo tubes on torpedo variants in public references
Missile armament
Kowsar/TL-10, Zafar, or Nasr/C-704-family anti-ship missiles on missile variants in public references
Gun armament
12.7 mm machine-gun armament is listed for Peykaap III/Zolfaghar references
Sensors
Surface-search and navigation radar is listed in Peykaap III/Zolfaghar public references
IRGCN inventory estimate
DIA's 2019 order of battle listed Peykaap I, Peykaap II, and Peykaap III craft as separate coastal patrol craft lines
Known operators
IRGC Navy and Venezuelan naval service are reported in public references
Role
Short-range anti-ship missile or torpedo attack, swarming, and littoral sea denial
Variants

Public sources use Peykaap as both a family label and a reporting name for related IPS-16-derived craft. The rows below separate the main torpedo and missile-boat designations used in open references.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Peykaap I / IPS-16 / ZoljenahTorpedo-boat baseline

GlobalSecurity lists the IPS-16/Peykaap coastal patrol craft with two 324 mm torpedo tubes, while Covert Shores identifies the IPS-16 as Peykaap-I or Zoljenah in Iranian service.

Sources: Peykaap Class, Makran OSINT Peykaap Boats

Peykaap II / BavarMissile and torpedo fast attack craft

GlobalSecurity lists Kowsar/TL-10 launchers and 324 mm torpedo tubes for the modified Peykaap II, and IranWatch describes Peykaap II as a North Korean-derived domestic missile boat with Kosar/C701 or Nasr/C704 missiles.

Sources: Peykaap Class, Leveling the Field

Peykaap III / ZolfagharMissile boat

GlobalSecurity lists the Peykaap III/Zolfaghar as a C-704/Nasr-family missile gunboat, and DIA's 2019 order of battle separately lists Peykaap III coastal missile patrol craft.

Sources: Peykaap Class, Iran Military Power

Venezuelan Zolfaghar boatsExport service

Janes says Venezuelan acquisition of Iranian-made fast attack craft was revealed in July 2023 and that the type is known as Zolfaghar in Iran while the U.S. Navy refers to the Peykaap series.

Sources: Venezuela Displays Iranian Anti-Ship Missiles

Launched Weapons

Public references describe different missile and torpedo fits across the Peykaap/Zolfaghar family rather than one standard loadout.

Launched itemItem typeLaunch evidence
Kowsar cruise anti-ship missile, Anti-ship cruise missile family, MunitionsKowsar cruise anti-ship missileShort-range anti-ship cruise missile family

GlobalSecurity lists two Kowsar/TL-10 surface-to-surface missile launchers on the modified Peykaap II, and IranWatch describes Peykaap II missile boats with Kosar/C701 or Nasr/C704 anti-ship cruise missiles.

Sources: Peykaap Class, Leveling the Field

Iranian anti-ship missile systems, Anti-ship missile system, MunitionsIranian anti-ship missile systemsNasr/C-704-family anti-ship missile context

GlobalSecurity lists C-704/Nasr-family guided weapons for the Peykaap III/Zolfaghar, while Janes identifies Nasr as Iran's version of the Chinese C704 in its Venezuelan fast-attack-craft reporting.

Sources: Peykaap Class, Venezuela Displays Iranian Anti-Ship Missiles

Mounted Weapons
Carried itemItem typeCarriage evidence
12.7 mm heavy machine gun, Belt-fed, crew-served heavy machine gun class, Infantry Weapons12.7 mm heavy machine gunHeavy machine gun class

GlobalSecurity lists a 12.7 mm/50 machine gun among the Peykaap III/Zolfaghar weapons.

Sources: Peykaap Class

Family Structure And Loadouts

The Peykaap name is used across several related small craft, so open references are clearest when the family is read by role and loadout rather than by one fixed configuration.

DesignationPrimary roleSource-backed loadout context
Peykaap I / IPS-16 / ZoljenahTorpedo boatGlobalSecurity lists two 324 mm torpedo tubes for the IPS-16/Peykaap baseline, and Covert Shores links the IPS-16 lineage to the Peykaap-I/Zoljenah label.
Peykaap II / BavarMissile and torpedo fast attack craftGlobalSecurity lists Kowsar/TL-10 missile launchers plus two 324 mm torpedo tubes; IranWatch describes Peykaap II with Kosar/C701 or Nasr/C704 anti-ship cruise missiles.
Peykaap III / ZolfagharMissile boatGlobalSecurity lists C-704/Nasr-family guided weapons and a 12.7 mm machine gun, while DIA separately counts Peykaap III as coastal missile patrol craft.
Venezuelan Zolfaghar boatsExport fast attack craftJanes reported Venezuelan fast attack craft acquisition in July 2023 and described the Iranian name as Zolfaghar with U.S. Navy reference to the Peykaap series.
Strait Of Hormuz Context

The Peykaap/Zolfaghar family is relevant to Strait of Hormuz analysis because it is one of the named missile-boat lines inside the IRGC Navy's fast-attack-craft inventory. Current conflict reporting, however, is usually less specific than catalog pages: it describes IRGCN small boats, speedboat swarms, drones, mines, and shore-launched missiles rather than identifying hull classes in each incident.

What is directly sourced

NMF describes Bavar/Peykaap II and Zulfiqar as part of the IRGCN patrol and coastal-combatant fleet, and MEI says Nasr and Zafar missiles give smaller platforms such as IPS-16 Zolfaghar missile speedboats more punch in the Persian Gulf.

2026 Hormuz activity

ABC reported IRGCN small attack boats disrupting shipping and recent U.S. claims of six Iranian small boats destroyed, while Stars and Stripes reported CENTCOM's account of missiles, drones, and small boats launched as three U.S. destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz on May 7, 2026.

Evidence limit

The reviewed 2026 sources did not name Peykaap, Bavar, or Zolfaghar as the exact boat class in those Hormuz incidents, so this entry keeps the current-war material as context instead of claiming direct class-specific combat use.

Timeline

Peykaap / Zolfaghar missile boat Key Events

  1. IPS-16 lineage enters Iranian service

    Covert Shores says several IPS-16 torpedo boats were delivered around 2004 and that the design became known in Iran as Peykaap-I or Zoljenah.

    Sources: Makran OSINT Peykaap Boats

  2. Peykaap III / Zolfaghar appears in public references

    GlobalSecurity lists the IPS-16 Peykaap III/Zolfaghar missile gunboat with a 2012 commissioning reference and C-704/Nasr-family armament.

    Sources: Peykaap Class

  3. DIA publishes IRGCN inventory estimates

    DIA's Iran Military Power report lists Peykaap I torpedo craft, Peykaap II missile craft, and Peykaap III missile craft in the IRGC Navy order of battle.

    Sources: Iran Military Power

  4. IRGC Navy receives new small boats

    Radio Farda reported the delivery of more than 100 gunboats to the IRGC Navy, including Zolfaghar-class boats manufactured by Iranian marine industry entities.

    Sources: More Than 100 Gunboats Delivered To Revolutionary Guard's Navy

  5. Makran seen carrying missile-attack craft

    USNI News reported Maxar imagery showing IRINS Makran after leaving port with seven high-speed missile-attack craft aboard.

    Sources: Makran with 7 High-Speed Missile Boats

  6. Venezuelan Zolfaghar acquisition becomes public

    Janes reported that Venezuelan acquisition of Iranian-made fast attack craft was revealed when two boats appeared in naval-parade television coverage.

    Sources: Venezuela Displays Iranian Anti-Ship Missiles

  7. Hormuz reporting emphasizes small-boat pressure

    During the 2026 Iran War, ABC and Stars and Stripes reported IRGC small-boat activity and U.S. interceptions around the Strait of Hormuz, while USNI News said projectiles had become the main shipping threat and that fast-attack craft were less visible than missiles and drones.

    Sources: Iran's Mosquito Fleet A Weapon Of Mass Disruption, Stars and Stripes Hormuz Small-Boat Attack, Missile Attacks Define Strait of Hormuz Risks

Media

Peykaap / Zolfaghar missile boat Images

Peykaap / Zolfaghar missile boat, Fast attack craft / missile boat, Naval Systems - view 1
Source: IRGC naval exercise-2015 (11).jpg
Peykaap / Zolfaghar missile boat, Fast attack craft / missile boat, Naval Systems - view 2
Source: Fast-attack craft approaching an internationally flagged merchant vessel.jpg
Related Weapon Systems
Iranian small attack boats, Small attack boat / fast attack craft, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsIranian small attack boatsSmall attack boat / fast attack craftIranian small attack boats are a mixed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy fast attack craft and fast inshore attack craft force used for swarm harassment, mine laying, anti-ship missile attack, and littoral sea denial around the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz. The family covers domestically produced speedboats and named classes such as Ashura/Ashoora, Tareq, Zolfaghar/Peykaap, Thondor/Houdong, Boghammar-derived craft, and Bladerunner-derived craft rather than a single standardized design.
Zulfiqar air-defense fast boat, Air-defense fast boat, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsZulfiqar air-defense fast boatAir-defense fast boatThe Zulfiqar air-defense fast boat is an Iranian IRGC Navy small craft configured around short-range surface-to-air missiles rather than the usual gun, rocket, torpedo, or anti-ship missile fit seen on many Iranian fast boats. Iranian reporting said the Zolfaghar high-speed boat joined the IRGC Navy in March 2023 with Nawab air-defense missiles, while Covert Shores assessed the displayed craft as a Bladerunner-derived hull with a radome and vertical-launch missile cells for local air cover around small-boat groups.
Iranian naval surface vessels, Naval surface vessels, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsIranian naval surface vesselsNaval surface vesselsIranian naval surface vessels in this catalog cover two overlapping fleets: the regular Islamic Republic of Iran Navy's larger frigates, corvettes, and missile boats, and the IRGC Navy's missile boats, patrol craft, fast-attack craft, small boats, and newer missile catamarans. The fleet is usually described as a Strait of Hormuz and Gulf littoral force, combining anti-ship missiles, swarm tactics, boarding pressure, mine-capable boats, and limited larger-combatant presence rather than a peer blue-water surface fleet.
Ashura-class speedboat, Fast patrol boat / fast inshore attack craft, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsAshura-class speedboatFast patrol boat / fast inshore attack craftThe Ashura-class speedboat is a small Iranian fast patrol and fast inshore attack craft family associated with the IRGC Navy's asymmetric small-boat force. Public sources describe the original Ashura/Ashoora boat as a compact glass-reinforced-plastic craft with gun, rocket, troop-carrying, and mine-capable configurations, while later Iranian reporting also applies the Ashura-class label to improved missile-capable boats.

Sources

Peykaap ClassPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports public Peykaap/IPS-16 dimensions, crew, speed, torpedo fit, and Peykaap missile-boat armament data. | Accessed: 2026-07-01More Than 100 Gunboats Delivered To Revolutionary Guard's NavyPublisher: Radio Farda | Note: Supports the delivery of Zolfaghar-class boats to the IRGC Navy and Iranian production context. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy: A Small Craft OverviewPublisher: The Admiralty Trilogy | Note: Supports model-level small-craft context for Zolfaghar/Peykaap III, Bavar/Peykaap II, and common ASCM or torpedo armament patterns. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Iran's Naval ForcesPublisher: Office of Naval Intelligence | Note: Supports official U.S. Navy background that Iran copied the North Korean Peykaap-class boat and domestically produced it as a missile boat with Nasr/C704 anti-ship cruise missiles. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Iran Military PowerPublisher: Defense Intelligence Agency | Note: Supports IRGC Navy order-of-battle context listing Peykaap I torpedo craft, Peykaap II missile craft, and Peykaap III missile craft. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Leveling the FieldPublisher: Iran Watch | Note: Supports Peykaap II and Peykaap III force estimates, North Korean design lineage, and Kosar/C701 or Nasr/C704 anti-ship cruise missile armament context. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Makran with 7 High-Speed Missile BoatsPublisher: USNI News | Note: Supports the April 2021 imagery-based report that IRINS Makran left port carrying seven high-speed missile-attack craft. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Makran OSINT Peykaap BoatsPublisher: Covert Shores | Note: Supports Peykaap family designation context, IPS-16/Peykaap-I/Zoljenah lineage, Peykaap-II/Bavar and Peykaap-III/Zolfaghar naming, and Makran carriage of Peykaap-type fast attack craft. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Venezuela Displays Iranian Anti-Ship MissilesPublisher: Janes | Note: Supports Venezuelan acquisition context for Iranian-made fast attack craft, Zolfaghar/Peykaap naming, and Nasr/C704/CM-90 missile-family context. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Navies And The Use Of ForcePublisher: National Maritime Foundation | Note: Supports IRGC Navy fleet context identifying Bavar/Peykaap II and Zulfiqar patrol vessels among IRGCN patrol and coastal-combatant craft, and describes the IRGCN association with fast attack craft, swarm tactics, and asymmetric warfare. | Accessed: 2026-07-02The IRGC and the Persian Gulf RegionPublisher: Middle East Institute | Note: Supports Persian Gulf anti-ship missile context stating that Nasr and Zafar missiles add strike power for smaller platforms such as IPS-16 Zolfaghar missile speedboats. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Iran's Mosquito Fleet A Weapon Of Mass DisruptionPublisher: ABC News | Note: Supports current Strait of Hormuz context for IRGCN small attack boats, swarm tactics, shipping disruption, and U.S. claims that six Iranian small boats were destroyed; it does not identify a Peykaap or Zolfaghar boat in a specific incident. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Stars and Stripes Hormuz Small-Boat AttackPublisher: Stars and Stripes | Note: Supports current Strait of Hormuz context: Stars and Stripes reported CENTCOM's account that Iran launched missiles, drones, and small boats as U.S. destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz on May 7, 2026; it does not identify the small boats by class. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Missile Attacks Define Strait of Hormuz RisksPublisher: USNI News | Note: Supports current Strait of Hormuz context that officials and analysts viewed projectiles as the main 2026 shipping threat and described IRGCN fast-attack craft as less visible than missiles and drones at that point. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Joint Naval Parade Bandar Abbas (4).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the Peykaap II image used by the Wikipedia article; Commons lists Tasnim News Agency attribution and CC BY 4.0 licensing. | Accessed: 2026-07-02IRGC naval exercise-2015 (11).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the primary image showing IRGC boats during a naval exercise. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Fast-attack craft approaching an internationally flagged merchant vessel.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the gallery image showing Iranian fast-attack craft. | Accessed: 2026-07-01