Naval Flotilla on Way to Gulf of Aden

The Iranian Navy’s 54th flotilla of warships is on an overseas mission. The fleet, comprising the Kharg Helicopter Carrier and Sabalan Destroyer, is on its way to the Indian Ocean. It will arrive in the Gulf of Aden and Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Tasnim News Agency reported. This is Kharg’s first mission in years after being overhauled by Navy engineers and technicians. Kharg is a helicopter carrier and supply and replenishment ship of the Iranian Navy, named after the country’s Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf. Iran’s naval forces have increased their presence in the high seas in recent years to secure naval routes and protect merchant vessels and oil tankers against pirates. In line with international efforts to combat piracy, the Iranian Navy has also been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden to safeguard vessels involved in maritime trade, especially ships and oil tankers owned or leased by Iran.