Iran's Nasr-1 short-range, anti-ship missile (AShM) -- a reverse-engineered copy of China's C-704 AShM -- has been deployed to missile and patrol boats of the Navy of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution (NESDA), also called the Revolutionary Guards' Navy.

NESDA last week formally took delivery of the first shipment of Nasr-1 (which translates into Victory-1), which is designed to sink small warships such as patrol boats and frigates with a displacement between 1,000 tons to 4,000 tons.

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The sub-sonic Nasr-1 carries a 150 kg time-delayed semi-armor-piercing high-explosive warhead to a maximum range of 35 km.

The radar-evading missile can be launched from land-based launchers and warships, and is being modified for launch from helicopters and submarines.

Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan said Nasr-1 can be quickly prepared for launch; flies at a low flight altitude and has an advanced radar system with anti-jamming capabilities.

Iranian TV showed video of a Nasr-1 hurtling towards a barge loaded with shipping containers. The missile flew so low it hit the barge instead of the containers.

The missile didn't explode because it wasn't carrying a live warhead but its unspent fuel ignited a fire aboard the barge.

Last February, NESDA successfully test-fired a volley of Nasr-1 missiles during the large-scale Velayat 95 naval exercise in the Persian Gulf.

Iranian state-run media said Nasr-1 and hit the predetermined targets, said Dehghan.

Two years ago, Dehghan said Iran plans to equip its aerial drones with the indigenous Nasr-1 AShM.

"Using the air-based Nasr missile by the Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) the Air Forces will remarkably increase their operational and tactical power," he said.

Nasr-1 has a cigarette shaped body with four large foldable fins attached to the center part, and four smaller ones attached to the end of the missile near the exhaust.

TagsIran, Nasr-1 short-range, anti-ship missile, C-704 AShM, Navy of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution, NESDA, Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan