The Origins of the Iraqi Navy

The Iraqi Navy was founded on 12 August 1937 under the name of Riverine Force, when a group of four British River Gun boats was anchored in Basra. These were named Al Jasi (N.1), That Al Swary (N.2), Janadah (N.3) and Abdul Rahman (N.4). Built by Thornycroft, in Southampton, they were Diesel-engine boats armed with army guns, intended for service on the Tiger and Euphrates rivers with bullet-proof plating.

On 5 August 1937, Maj. Gen. Ahmed Rushdi Bin Mohammed was appointed as leader of the riverine force. Headquartered in Baghdad, the Iraqi Navy was originally linked to the general office of the Ministry of Defense and then transferred to Amara on August 30 of the same year. During the period between 1937 and 1958, the Iraqi Navy was only a riverine force carrying out only a few patrol duties along the Shatt Al Arab. These British ships were armed with machine guns and mortars and took part in several clashes with tribesmen in southern Iraq under command of Maj. Gen. Ahmed Rushdi Bin Mohammed.

On August 1944, the riverine force was connected to the Artillery command of the 1st Infantry Division of the Iraqi Army and stayed that way until the establishment of the naval base on 1 September 1960. By that time, it was connected to the HQ of the naval base as one of the General Headquarters’ sectors.

After the revolution of 1958, the Iraqi naval force began to expand and the country signed a contract with the Soviet Union for 12 P-6 torpedo boats. The first batch of three P-6s arrived on 27 November 1959, followed by three more, and then six in 1961. In order to complement their small riverine force, Iraq received three “SO-1”-class anti-submarine ships in 1962, each fitted with two racks of depth charges, and three Soviet-made “PO-2”-class coastal patrol craft in 1966.

Following the 17-July Revolution of 1968, plans were developed to create a new fleet that could prevent any aggression coming from the Gulf, as this was regarded as a critical area exposed to foreign forces due to its strategic importance.

The first two OSA-class missile boats (OSA-I) were delivered in July 1972 and these deliveries will continue until 1984 for a total of 6 OSA-Is. The first two "Osa-II" class were delivered in April 1974 and the deliveries will continue until 1977 for a total of eight OSA-IIs. These boats were armed with two aft 30-mm guns and four Styx missiles each with a maximum range of 46-95 km, depending on the variant.

Delivered between July 1974 and November 1975, the navy took charge of five Soviet “Zhuk”-class inshore patrol boats. This cheap, simple patrol boat class was designed for easy mass-production and economical use. They were used for coastal and inshore patrolling purposes. The machine gun turrets were not linked to any fire control system and were operated manually and locally. Electronics were limited to a 12-channel HF radio and one simple radar. 

To be continued...