Naval Systems

Zulfiqar air-defense fast boat

Also known as
  • Zulfiqar air defense boat
  • Zolfaghar air defense boat
  • Zulfiqar fast boat
  • Zulfighar class air-defence boat
  • Zolfaghar high-speed boat
  • Zulfiqar class air-defense speedboat
  • Zolfoghar air-defense vessel

The 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.

Zulfiqar air-defense fast boat, Air-defense fast boat, Naval Systems
Image source: Commissioning ceremony of IRGC naval vessels in March 2023 (10).jpg
Profile / Specs

Specifications

Hull class
Small high-speed fast-boat hull assessed as Bladerunner-derived
Representative hull length
About 15.5 m / 51 ft for the Bladerunner 51 lineage; exact Zulfiqar dimensions are not separately confirmed in official public data
Representative displacement
About 16 t for the Bladerunner 51 lineage; the missile and radome fit likely changes operating weight
Representative speed
Bladerunner 51 references cite about 60-65 kt; air-defense configuration speed is not independently confirmed
Crew
Small crew; exact complement not publicly confirmed
Primary armament
Short-range surface-to-air missiles in vertical-launch cells
Reported missile load
Four Navab/Nawab missiles reported in IRGC Navy commander comments
Reported missile range
Covert Shores assesses Nawab as a short-range air-defense missile of about 15 km range
Launch arrangement
Vertical launch system behind the radome identified in public imagery analysis
Sensors
Large radome and radar or electro-optical equipment visible in public imagery according to open-source analysis
Observed examples
Only one example had been noted in early open-source coverage after the March 2023 display
Role
Mobile point air defense, escort, and distributed littoral defense
Operating concept
Specialized fast boat intended to add an air-defense layer to IRGC Navy small craft
Variants

Open sources describe this entry as a specialized air-defense derivative of Iran's Bladerunner/Seraj fast-boat line rather than as the older Peykaap/Zolfaghar anti-ship missile boat.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Zulfiqar / Zolfaghar air-defense fast boatShort-range surface-to-air missile configuration

Iranian reporting says the Zolfaghar high-speed boat entered IRGC Navy service with the ability to fire Nawab air-defense missiles; later IRGC Navy commander comments described four Navab missiles loaded on the Zolfoghar vessel.

Sources: IRGC receives new vessels with laser-guided missiles (+VIDEO), IRGC vessels equipped with cruise missiles with 2,000 range

Seraj-1 / Bladerunner fast boat, Fast attack craft / high-speed military boat, Naval SystemsSeraj-1 / Bladerunner fast boatHigh-speed hull lineage

Covert Shores assesses the air-defense craft's hull as Bladerunner-derived, while Bladerunner references document Iran's acquisition, adaptation, and military use of that high-speed hull family.

Sources: Iran Reveals World's First Air Defense Small Boat, Bladerunner, Siraj-1 / Bladerunner

Hull Lineage

The useful catalog link is the high-speed hull family, because the public record describes the air-defense boat as a specialized derivative rather than a separate missile family with many named variants.

Compatible itemItem typeCompatibility evidence
Seraj-1 / Bladerunner fast boat, Fast attack craft / high-speed military boat, Naval SystemsSeraj-1 / Bladerunner fast boatBladerunner-derived fast-boat family

Covert Shores assesses the Zulfiqar air-defense boat's hull form as derived from the British-designed Bladerunner, and Bladerunner/Seraj sources document Iran's earlier military adaptation of that hull line.

Sources: Iran Reveals World's First Air Defense Small Boat, Bladerunner, Siraj-1 / Bladerunner

System Layout And Evidence Limits

The public evidence is strongest for a small number of visible design features and official Iranian fielding claims. Specifications should be read as a sourced open-source profile, not as a complete shipyard data sheet.

TopicSource-backed context
Hull familyCovert Shores assesses the craft as derived from the Bladerunner hull form. The related Seraj-1 / Bladerunner fast boat, Fast attack craft / high-speed military boat, Naval SystemsSeraj-1 / Bladerunner fast boat page covers the broader Iranian high-speed hull lineage.
Missile fitIranian reporting identifies the boat as able to fire Nawab or Navab air-defense missiles, and IRGC Navy commander comments described four missiles on the Zolfoghar vessel.
Launch arrangementOpen-source imagery analysis identifies a vertical-launch system behind the radome, consistent with a compact short-range surface-to-air missile fit.
Sensor fitCovert Shores notes the large radome and cautions that the radar arrangement may differ from other Nawab-equipped vessels and land-based Zubin configurations.
Fleet statusCovert Shores noted only one observed example after the March 2023 display, so the record should not imply a large confirmed class unless later sourcing establishes production numbers.
Timeline

Zulfiqar air-defense fast boat Key Events

  1. Iran obtains Bladerunner hull lineage

    Motor Boat & Yachting reported in 2010 that Iran had acquired a Bladerunner 51 through an indirect purchase route, providing the hull lineage later associated with Seraj and Zulfiqar derivatives.

    Sources: Iran to replicate Bladerunner 51 for missile launching

  2. Seraj-1 adaptation appears

    Covert Shores and GlobalSecurity describe Iran's Seraj-1 as the Iranian military adaptation of the Bladerunner hull form, establishing the family context for later missile and air-defense derivatives.

    Sources: Bladerunner, Siraj-1 / Bladerunner

  3. Zolfaghar air-defense boat joins IRGC Navy

    Mehr's report of the March 2023 ceremony said the Zolfaghar high-speed boat joined the IRGC Navy with the ability to fire Nawab air-defense missiles.

    Sources: IRGC receives new vessels with laser-guided missiles (+VIDEO)

  4. Missile-launch footage published

    Mehr published video coverage identifying a missile firing from the IRGC-made Zolfaghar vessel and described the craft as a very small air-defense boat armed with short-range surface-to-air missiles.

    Sources: VIDEO: Moment when missile fired from IRGC Zolfaghar vessel

  5. IRGC Navy commander describes missile load

    Mehr reported IRGC Navy commander Alireza Tangsiri's comments that four Navab missiles were loaded on the Zolfoghar vessel and that the vertical-launch installation had been test-fired.

    Sources: IRGC vessels equipped with cruise missiles with 2,000 range

Media

Zulfiqar air-defense fast boat Images

Zulfiqar air-defense fast boat, Air-defense fast boat, Naval Systems - view 1
Source: Commissioning ceremony of IRGC naval vessels in March 2023 (26).jpg
Zulfiqar air-defense fast boat, Air-defense fast boat, Naval Systems - view 2
Source: Fast-attack craft approaching an internationally flagged merchant vessel.jpg
Related Weapon Systems
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Sources

Iran Reveals World's First Air Defense Small BoatPublisher: Covert Shores | Note: Supports background, air-defense role, Bladerunner-derived hull assessment, and visible short-range missile/sensor fit. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy: A Small Craft OverviewPublisher: The Admiralty Trilogy | Note: Supports broader IRGCN small-craft context and Bladerunner/Seraj-style craft within the inventory. | Accessed: 2026-07-01IRGC receives new vessels with laser-guided missiles (+VIDEO)Publisher: Mehr News Agency | Note: Supports the March 2023 IRGC Navy induction context and the report that the Zolfaghar high-speed boat joined with the ability to fire Nawab air-defense missiles. | Accessed: 2026-07-01VIDEO: Moment when missile fired from IRGC Zolfaghar vesselPublisher: Mehr News Agency | Note: Supports the public missile-launch video context and short-range surface-to-air missile description for the Zolfaghar/Zulfiqar air-defense boat. | Accessed: 2026-07-01IRGC vessels equipped with cruise missiles with 2,000 rangePublisher: Mehr News Agency | Note: Supports IRGC Navy commander comments on vertical-launch installation, successful test firing, and four Navab missiles loaded on the Zolfoghar vessel. | Accessed: 2026-07-01BladerunnerPublisher: Covert Shores | Note: Supports Iran's Seraj-1 Bladerunner adaptation, hull-lineage context, and the broader Iranian military use of the Bladerunner family. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Siraj-1 / BladerunnerPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports representative Bladerunner 51 length, displacement, speed, power, and Siraj-1 lineage context used as caveated hull-family data. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Iran to replicate Bladerunner 51 for missile launchingPublisher: Motor Boat & Yachting | Note: Supports the 2009-2010 Bladerunner acquisition and replication context for Iran's high-speed military boat lineage. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Commissioning ceremony of IRGC naval vessels in March 2023 (10).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the Fars News / CC BY 4.0 image used by Commons for the Zolfaghar air-defense boat. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Commissioning ceremony of IRGC naval vessels in March 2023 (26).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for a related CC BY 4.0 IRGC Navy commissioning image. | 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