Israel names its biggest ever submarine

Earlier this week, a ceremony was held in the German port of Kiel, where the Israeli Navy named its sixth and largest submarine the INS Drakon. The ceremony was attended by the Commander of the Israeli Navy, David Sar-Salama, the Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Defense and Head of the Production and Procurement Directorate, Zeev Landau, and the Israeli Ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor. Thyssenkrupp is scheduled to deliver the submarine to Israel in 2025.

High cost

INS Drakon is the largest submarine built in Germany since the end of World War II. The submarine will cost 500 million euros ($586 million) with the German government funding a third of the cost. For comparison’s sake, the INS Tanin, which Israel bought a decade ago, costs €400 million, and all four Saar 6 warships together cost €450 million.

In 2018, the Israeli Navy decided to discontinue the INS Drakon project, which was almost ready, and implement a strategic change with improvements including replacement of components. The major change resulted in extended delivery time and additional costs. The design and planning phase of each submarine takes about three years, while construction takes about seven years. Among other things, unlike Israel’s three previous submarines, INS Drakon has an AIP system, which allows the batteries to be charged even underwater, allowing a longer diving time.

Is it a nuclear submarine?

INS Drakon, like INS Tanin and INS Rahav, has ten torpedo tubes (six 533 mm in diameter and four 650 mm in diameter). According to foreign reports, the submarine can carry Popeye-class nuclear cruise missiles produced by Rafael. The submarine can also carry German-made 4A2DM missiles and US-made Harpoon anti-ship missiles. An important advantage of INS Drakon over its counterparts, according to foreign reports, is the capability of the VLS system: an advanced launch system for launching missiles from ships. However, the submarine itself is not nuclear powered, as ThyssenKrupp only produces conventionally powered submarines.

The length of the submarine is estimated in international media at more than 70 metres, which allows not only a larger crew but also to carry more weapons and ammunition. Its weight exceeds 2,000 tons, making it the most powerful submarine in the Middle East. According to a report by the German newspaper Der Spiegel, the already operational Israeli submarines, such as the Tanin and the Rehab, can remain under the surface of the water for 18 days and reach a speed of 25 knots (46.3 kilometers per hour). hour).

Throughout the development of the INS Drakon, dozens of Israeli Navy engineers worked alongside ThyssenKrupp employees. This teamwork has spanned more than 30 years, with Israel becoming Thyssenkrupp’s second-largest customer after Germany itself.

The life cycle of a submarine is about 30 years, mainly due to the effects of the loads when submerged in the water on the “pressure body”, the inner shell of the submarine. As a result, the submarines INS Dolphin, INS Leviathan and INS Takuma, which arrived in Haifa in 1999-2000, will be phased out. To this end, in 2022 Israel purchased from ThyssenKrupp three Dakar series submarines for 3 billion euros, which are expected to be delivered starting in 2031. Unlike the submarines INS Rahab, INS Tanin and INS Dragon, they are expected to be financed by Germany.” Only 20% of the cost.

Published by Globes, Israel Business News – en.globes.co.il – on November 14, 2024.

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