Iran’s Makeshift Drone Carrier Could Be Worse Than America Thinks
Despite its shoestring nature, the new drone carrier is a force multiplier for the Islamic Republic—and Washington should take it seriously.
Converting a container ship by placing a flight deck on it and calling it an aircraft carrier might seem like a joke. But as noted earlier this month, that sequence of events more or less describes the origins of the flattops a century ago.
It might seem that today, any serious naval power would skip over that part and just build a purpose-built carrier. But such endeavors are expensive, complex, and require some past experience. During the Cold War, the Soviet Navy had great ambitions with its Kiev class, which was originally intended to be a supercarrier similar to the U.S. Navy’s Kitty Hawk class, but the program was scaled back considerably. Meanwhile, China and India were able to leapfrog towards building domestically-built carriers, but only after buying existing warships and reverse engineering the technology.
The Islamic Republic of Iran is going in the former direction, starting with a converted warship—largely because it has no other choice. No Western powers would sell Tehran a carrier, Russia doesn’t have one to offer, and even as Beijing is forging closer ties, it is focused on building its fleet. Even if Russia or China were to provide the expertise—a big if at that—Iran doesn’t have the shipbuilding industry, or, in fact, the money.
Thus, the converted Shahid Bahman Bagheri (C110-4), built from a container ship, is the best the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) can expect in the short term. Still, the unusual warship’s capabilities shouldn’t be totally dismissed. The Shahid Bagman Bagheri can launch helicopters and unmanned aerial systems (UAS), allowing Iran to project power beyond its limited coastline in the Persian Gulf. In short, despite its shoestring nature, the new drone carrier is a force multiplier for the Islamic Republic—and Washington should take it seriously.
“Absolutely. Drones are a force multiplier for Iran, but the bigger question is how prepared the U.S. is for the next phase of drone warfare,” warned Mike Fraietta, an FAA-certified drone pilot and co-founder of Gargoyle Systems, which is developing technology to counter unmanned systems.
The company has begun to create a decentralized “Sky Shield” that tracks, identifies, and classifies drones in real-time, including state-sponsored threats, commercial UAVs, or autonomous systems. Its model would mirror how air traffic control operates but adapted for low-altitude aerial security.
Asymmetric Warfare
Iran’s drone strategy is an evolution of its low-cost, high-impact, asymmetric warfare tactics, Fraietta told The National Interest.
“By leveraging swarming drones, proxy groups, and AI-assisted targeting, Iran can punch above its weight without direct military engagement,” Fraietta added. “These systems allow them to harass U.S. allies, threaten infrastructure, and disrupt air defense systems.”
Shahid Bahman Bagheri is essentially a low-cost force multiplier—especially compared to the billions that modern carriers cost.
“Iran’s so-called ‘drone carriers’—converted merchant ships capable of launching UAVs—are more about asymmetric power projection than a fundamental shift in naval warfare,” said Fraietta. “They allow Iran to extend its reach and complicate regional security, but the real threat isn’t the carriers, it’s the drones themselves.”
The Bigger Concern is What Comes Next
Iran’s efforts to develop a more effective carrier will likely improve over time. They could also get a jumpstart from a partner such as Russia or, more likely, China. However, the scale that could entail is still coming into focus.
“China and Iran collaborating on drone carriers is less concerning than the possibility of technology transfer. China is rapidly advancing in AI-assisted drone warfare, electronic warfare, and automated swarm tactics,” Fraietta explained. “If Iran gains access to these capabilities, the threat goes beyond drone carriers, it becomes a question of networked, autonomous, and scalable drone operations.”
The U.S. Needs to be Prepared
The other important consideration is that it was just over 80 years ago when the U.S. failed to see the threat that aircraft carriers may have posed—at least until Japan launched its attack on Pearl Harbor. The United States can’t afford to be asleep at dawn again.
“This is where America needs a strategic shift,” said Fraietta.
That could be Gargoyle Systems’ Sky Shield, or some other scalable counter-drone solution that operates in real-time across multiple domains. But the point remains that Iran and China are now focused on next-gen drone warfare, and the United States can’t remain focused on the old ways of doing things.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
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