Israel has just taken delivery of a Dolphin-class diesel-electric submarine from Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), and it has been described as the most advanced and capable of the Dolphin-class subs to date. This brings Israel's submarine fleet up to six, all German-made Dolphin class boats. And, yes, the irony in that should not be lost on us.
The new boat set the Israelis back $634 million.
The handover of the INS Drakon is expected to significantly bolster Israel's underwater strike and reconnaissance capabilities, The Algemeiner reported. The warship had been scheduled to be delivered in 2025.
A statement following the submarine's naming ceremony in Kiel in 2024 said the INS Drakon is of the Dolphin AIP class and "equipped with unique systems, including groundbreaking technologies that expand the range of the IDF's capabilities across various arenas."
Built specifically for the Israeli Navy by Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), the submarine is said to provide a vital sea-based layer of "deterrence and retribution," amid the war with Iran, defense analysts say.
Dr. Ehud Eilam, an Israeli national security expert and former researcher for Israel’s Ministry of Defense, told Fox News Digital that maintaining a continuous undersea presence is paramount for the nation's national survival.
There's some debate as to which, if any, of the boats have the capability of delivering nuclear warheads. The boats' German manufacturers aren't saying anything on the subject, but there is evidence that the boats are equipped to launch cruise missiles, some of which can be fired through torpedo tubes and/or vertical missile tubes.
There is consistent speculation that Israel’s submarines have been refitted to carry missiles armed with nuclear weapons for the country to maintain a survivable second-strike option. The German government has refused to comment on modifying the Dolphin-class submarines delivered to Israel to fit cruise missiles armed with nuclear warheads.However, German officials such as former Head of the Policy Planning Staff of the German Ministry of Defense Hans Rühle, have stated that they assumed Israel intended to equip the submarines with nuclear weapons.
In June 2002, former U.S. State Department and Pentagon officials confirmed that the U.S. Navy observed Israeli missile tests in the Indian Ocean in 2000, and that the Dolphin-class vessels have been fitted with nuclear-capable cruise missiles of a new design. However, the Israeli Defense Forces have consistently denied any such missile tests. Experts disagree on whether Israel adapted Harpoon cruise missiles to carry an indigenously developed nuclear warhead or if it modified the Gabriel 4LR anti-ship missile.
Let's be honest, though: Fitting these subs out with the capability of carrying and launching nuclear weapons would be a logical step for Israel. Not only are they a small country, surrounded by bitter enemies, but their primary regional enemy, Iran, was until recently working diligently on developing their own nuclear devices, which they almost certainly would have used, probably on Israel.
It's also a near-certainty that if the rule of the mullahs in Iran remains in place, that they will be developing nuclear weapons again as soon as the United States and Israel's backs are turned. It's not at all clear that an invisible second-strike capability would deter the maniacs in Tehran, but hopefully the idea of even a nuclear-devastated Israel still being able to toss hot rocks at Tehran would make them stop and think for at least a while.
Meanwhile, the Israeli navy has a new boat. And they're liable to need it.
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