Venezuela receives Iranian-made Peykaap missile boats

The Venezuelan Armed Forces have reportedly taken delivery of a batch of Iranian-made Peykaap fast attack craft, equipped with anti-ship missiles.

Images have emerged in social media showing these missile-armed vessels in Venezuelan waters, confirming previous reports of the acquisition, Defence Blog reports.

H I Sutton previously reported that Venezuela received from Iran at least four Peykaap-III class boats in 2023, each of which can carry up to two anti-ship missiles of the Kowsar type (with a launch range of up to 20 km and a warhead weight of 29 kg) or Nasr-1 (with a range of up to 35 km and a warhead weight of 150 kilograms), two lightweight anti-ship torpedoes, and several heavy-caliber machine guns.

Despite their relatively small size, measuring only 17 meters in length, these missile boats represent a significant threat to maritime traffic, particularly in the vicinity of Guyana’s seaports, which lack robust naval defences.

With the ability to launch precision-guided missiles, these vessels pose a formidable challenge to regional maritime security, potentially disrupting commercial shipping routes and posing a threat to international navigation.