Bayandor (US PF-103)

The Bayandor-class frigates are a class of light frigates originally built in the United States for the Imperial Iranian Navy. These vessels are primarily designed for coastal patrol and anti-submarine warfare operations.

Developed in the mid-1960s under the United States Military Assistance Program, the PF-103 class was designed as an affordable patrol escort for allied nations, with the lead ship entering service with the Imperial Iranian Navy in 1964. During the Iran-Iraq War, these vessels saw extensive combat conducting convoy escort missions and defending strategic oil terminals, during which two ships of the class were sunk. Following the 1979 revolution, the surviving ships were heavily modernized with upgraded electronics and anti-ship missiles. Today, the remaining units, including the namesake Bayandor, continue to serve in the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy as some of the longest-serving active warships in the Persian Gulf.