Iranian frigate Alvand , a British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

-made
Vosper Mark V class frigate

Frigate

A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...

 (also known as Alvand class frigate

Alvand class frigate

The Alvand class comprise four Iranian light patrol frigates. Only three are currently in service....

), was commissioned in 1971 as part of a four-ship order and is the lead ship of the class and flagship

Flagship

A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...

 of the Iranian Navy.

The ship was originally called Saam, named after the Saam class (which is named after Sām

Sam

-People:*Samuel , includes a list of people known as "Sam"*Samantha*Sām, a Persian folk hero, whose name means 'very dark'*Sam , the third son of Lehi and elder brother to the prophet Nephi-Animals:...

, a mythical hero of ancient Persia, and an important character in the Shahnameh

Shahnameh

The Shahnameh or Shah-nama is a long epic poem written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi between c.977 and 1010 AD and is the national epic of Iran and related societies...

) as it was the lead-ship. But after the Islamic Revolution the class was renamed to Alvand class, after the Alvand

Alvand

Alvand or Alvand Kuh is a subrange of Zagros in western Iran.This mountain chain is located near Hamedan, with a summit of 3570 m, and consists mainly of intrusive rocks ....

 mountain-chain and so this ship, being the lead ship was renamed Alvand.

The ship is rarely seen outside the Persian Gulf

Persian Gulf

The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...

 nowadays, although it did join the Indian Navy

Indian Navy

The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...

's 'Bridges of Friendship', held in Bombay on February 17, 2001 to celebrate India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

's 50th anniversary as republic where in 60 Indian vessels and 24 foreign vessels (including Alvand) participated. Alvand appeared to be in good state despite being thirty years old.
In 2010 it participated in the 60th anniversary of the Sri Lanka Navy.
Alvand entered the Suez Canal

Suez Canal

The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...

 on 22 February 2011, with the supply vessel Kharg

Iranian ship Kharg

The Iranian ship Kharg is a supply and replenishment ship of the Iranian Navy, named after Kharg Island. Built in Britain and launched in 1977, she was delivered to the Iranian Navy in 1984....

, on a deployment reported to be a training mission to Latakia

Port of Latakia

The Port of Latakia is the main seaport in Syria. Located on the Mediterranean Sea in the city of Latakia. The port is the main route in Syria for containers, though it also handles a good deal of metals, machinery, chemicals and food stuffs. In 2004, 5.1m tonnes were unloaded and 1m tonnes were...

, Syria

Syria

Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....

.