A
Moudge-class ship was first reported to be under construction in 2001.
Warship International wrote in 2008 that four ships of this class were under construction:
Mowj (376) launched on 22 February 2007,
Jamaran (377) launched on 28 November 2007, as well as
Azarakhsh (378) and
Tondar (379). The first ship,
Jamaran was stationed in the port of
Bandar Abbas.
Damavand is the second ship in this class.
Damavand was constructed at the Shahid Tamjidi Marine Industries (STMI) fabrication shop on the Caspian Sea at
Bandar-e Anzali. The frigate was launched in March 2013. In January 2018,
Damavand, based out of Bandar-Anzali on the Caspian Sea, ran aground on a concrete breakwater in the vicinity of its home port. It was reportedly caused by navigational error, compounded by a strong storm that created high waves and low visibility. During the incident, six members of the ship's crew fell overboard. Four of those crew members were later rescued, and two were considered missing by media sources. The Iranian Navy declined to confirm the reporting. There has been little information released in reference to the cause of the grounding, with the exception of statements of wave height and visibility caused by the storm at the time of the grounding.
Damavand is listed as actively commissioned. Photos from 2018 show that the ship's hull broke apart near the waterline approximately at the start of the ship's aircraft deck. The Iranian Navy commissioned
Dena in Bandar Abbas in June 2021. Future units of the
Moudge class are to be equipped with the
Sayyad-2 anti-aircraft missiles. During construction, the frigate
Talaiyeh capsized while in dry dock. One member of the Iranian Navy was killed in the incident. No official reports have been released by the Iranian authorities. While in port at Bandar Abbas
Sahand capsized on 7 July 2024 before sinking on 9 July 2024. ==Classification==