By Sharon Weinberger

Source:

September 29, 2010

Video of Iran’s latest domestically developed military technology isn’t exactly striking fear into the hearts of foreign adversaries. Rather, outside analysts and experts are mocking Iran’s new “flying boats,” an aircraft that travels just above the water.

Called the Bavar 2, the flying boat is often described as a ground-effect vehicle, meaning it rides a cushion of air over the surface of the water. The boats, which will be used by Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard, will reportedly be equipped

of the flying boats buzzing around in formation has drawn more ridicule than condemnation. “These flimsy things make the Soviet ekranoplan designs look stable,” writes Stephen Trimble, an aerospace reporter , referring to Soviet-era ground-effect aircraft that were tested during the Cold War.

Matt Gurney, writing at , calls the new vehicles the “love child of a Jetski and a bumper car,” and believes the boats are seemingly so useless that the only explanation is that Iran is planning to use them in suicide attacks on U.S. ships.

“Iran has announced its intention to mass produce vessels that serve virtually no conventional military purpose, that are too small and too lightly armed to be significant in a conventional battle and that will be controlled not by Iran’s Navy, but by a naval contingent of its fanatical Revolutionary Guards,” Gurney argues.

The newly released video is the latest in Iran’s efforts to boast of its home-made military technology, an attempt to demonstrate that international military sanctions against the Islamic republic have not thwarted its military power. Recent unveilings include an unmanned aircraft described as a and a .

Three squadrons of the seaplanes will go to the Revolutionary Guard, according to reports.