EMAIL DETAILS

This is not a surprise. It was suggested to the OSD IC USN elements by
IPS that this could happen several
times. The engines are from CAT.

Thad


http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/World/Story/STIStory_564433.html

World
Home > Breaking News > World > Story
Aug 10, 2010
Iran to arm 'Bladerunner' boats

TEHRAN - IRAN will mass produce replicas of the Bladerunner 51, often
described as the world's fastest boat, and equip them with weapons to be
deployed in the Gulf, a top commander said on Tuesday.

'The Bladerunner is a British ship that holds the world speed record.
We got
a copy (on which) we made some changes so it can launch missiles and
torpedoes,' said General Ali Fadavi of the Revolutionary Guard's navy.

'The Revolutionary Guards will be equipped with many' of them within a
year,
he said at a ceremony marking the delivery of 12 other speed boats
equipped
with missiles and torpedoes to the Guards.

The Bladerunner 51, weighing 16 tonnes and 15.5 metres long is
manufactured
at the ICE Marine shipyard in Britain and can reach a maximum speed of
65
knots.

The boat, powered by two 1,000-horsepower engines, reportedly
conducted in
2005 a tour of the British Isles in a little more than 27 hours at an
average speed of 63 knots.

General Fadavi did not fully explain how Iran managed to get a copy of
the
boat, only saying it had come 'via South Africa.' He said a US ship had
tried to intercept the boat before it entered Iranian waters 18 months
ago,
but added Iranian forces protected it and ensured its arrival. -- AF