Iran’s Mock Aircraft Carrier Sinks After Exercises

After a short-lived life off the coast of the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, the unnamed mock aircraft carrier used in last week’s wargames has sank into the water, and is now said to pose a hazard to ships operating in the area.

Made of wood, the ship is roughly the size of a US Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, and came complete with a set of wooden model planes on board. During the exercises, a helicopter fired a missile at it, and it was boarded by Iranian commandos.

This is hardly the first mock ship used in wargames, though it is unclear what Iran’s intentions were for it after this first use. There was speculation it could be used in a propaganda video somewhere down the road, though that clearly is no longer the case.

The carrier capsized from damage sustained last week, and ultimately sank. It’s not clear how big a shipping problem it will cause, but Bandar Abbas is a common oil port for Iran.