IRIS Dena was a modern Moudge class frigate of the Iranian navy – but in March 2026 she was hunted down and destroyed at sea by the American submarine USS Charlotte. In the broader context of the developing conflict it can be hard to understand just what this means – and what the current state of Iran’s navy actually is. Today we’ll examine Dena and her fleetmate, what they’re actually capable of and what their loss means for a nation that is being attacked relentlessly by a much more powerful force.Warship Designs explores the design, construction, engineering and operation of history’s greatest machines and vessels– from battleships like Bismarck and HMS King George V to aircraft carriers like USS Gerald R. Ford and IJN Akagi. Join researcher and illustrator Michael Brady as he tells the stories behind some of history’s most famous machines!