INS Drakon at its naming ceremony in Kiel. (Israeli Ministry of Defense)
The Israeli Ministry of Defense (MoD) indicated that its latest submarine has a new long-range strike capability when it announced on 12 November that the new boat had been named INS Drakon .
Drakon is currently being finished at the thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (tkMS) yard in Kiel, Germany, and will be the Israeli Navy's sixth Dolphin-class boat and the third with air-independent propulsion (AIP).
In its statement on the naming ceremony held in Kiel, the MoD described Drakon as a “strategic combat asset” that is “equipped with unique systems, including ground-breaking technologies that expand the range of the [Israel Defense Forces'] IDF's capabilities across various arenas”.
“Significant transformations are taking place in the submarine flotilla: operational methods are improving, the range of operational capabilities is being enhanced and expanded,” the MoD quoted Vice Admiral David Saar Salama, commander in chief of the Israeli Navy, as saying. “All of these place the submarine flotilla at the forefront of the campaign for Israel's security, as the extended arm of the IDF. With the addition of INS Drakon to the depths of our operations, our extended arm grows significantly in length and strength.”
The MoD added that Drakon will be delivered in 2025, after which it will sail to Israel. The ceremony also marked the commencement of construction of the new Dakar-class submarines that are scheduled for delivery in the early 2030s.
The MoD announced in January 2022 that it had reached an agreement with tkMS under which three Dakar-class submarines would be built to replace the three older Dolphins, with the first delivered in nine years.
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