Israel has taken delivery of the INS Drakon, the sixth and most advanced submarine built for the Israeli Navy.

The submarine was handed over in recent days at the TKMS shipyard in Kiel, Germany, in a small ceremony held without media presence and without an official announcement from either Israel or the German company.

According to Germany’s MarineForum naval publication, the INS Drakon departed the shipyard several days ago and sailed through the Bay of Kiel, flying the Israeli flag for the first time.

It is expected to arrive in Israel later this summer, after which it will undergo an induction process and complete preparations for operational service in the Israeli Navy.

The INS Drakon is the sixth and final submarine in Israel’s Dolphin program and the third of the upgraded Dolphin 2 class, following the INS Tanin and INS Rahav. Its cost is estimated at approximately €550 million, or about $634 million, making it the most expensive submarine ever acquired by the Israeli Navy.

Construction began in 2012, but Israel subsequently decided to make substantial design modifications and incorporate additional capabilities. The changes required alterations to the hull, internal systems and sail, significantly extending the construction process. Delivery was initially planned for 2025 but was ultimately completed this year.

At approximately 73 meters long, the INS Drakon is significantly larger than the 68.6-meter INS Tanin and INS Rahav. Its submerged displacement is estimated at approximately 2,400 tons, making it the largest submarine built in Germany since World War II.

The submarine is equipped with an air-independent propulsion (AIP) system based on fuel-cell technology, allowing it to operate without relying on an external air supply. The system enables the submarine to remain submerged for extended periods, reducing its risk of detection and allowing it to operate at greater distances.

At the submarine’s naming ceremony in November 2024, the IDF said the Drakon incorporates “unique systems and groundbreaking technologies that expand the IDF’s range of capabilities in various arenas.” Details of its systems, weapons and operational range remain classified.

“The INS Drakon will be a cornerstone in ensuring the security of the State of Israel,” Israeli Navy Commander Maj. Gen. David Saar Salama said at the ceremony. “Seen and unseen, it will operate in distant and unknown waters for extended periods. It is a submarine that provides an additional force multiplier to the capabilities and strength of the Israeli Navy, the IDF and the State of Israel in confronting complex challenges at the most important strategic level for the State of Israel.”

The submarine’s enlarged structure — particularly its unusually large sail — has fueled speculation in foreign defense media that it incorporates additional launch systems and capabilities for special operations. Neither Israel nor Germany has confirmed those assessments or disclosed details of the weapons carried aboard the submarine.

Beyond strike missions, Israel’s Dolphin-class submarines are used for intelligence gathering, reconnaissance and covert operations in distant theaters. Security experts also attribute a key role to the submarine fleet in maintaining Israel’s strategic deterrence, particularly in the face of the Iranian threat.

The INS Drakon also serves as a bridge between Israel’s existing Dolphin-class fleet and the Navy’s next generation of submarines. In 2022, Israel signed an agreement with TKMS for three new Dakar-class submarines at an estimated total cost of approximately €3 billion, with the German government expected to finance roughly one-fifth of the deal.

The three Dakar-class submarines are expected to begin arriving in Israel in 2031 and will gradually replace the INS Dolphin, INS Leviathan and INS Tekuma, which entered service in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

The delivery of the INS Drakon therefore completes a submarine procurement program that began more than three decades ago, while also marking the beginning of Israel’s transition to the next generation of its undersea fleet.

Dr. Ehud Eilam, a national security expert and former Defense Ministry researcher, told Fox News that maintaining a continuous Israeli submarine presence at sea is a critical component of the country’s deterrence and ensures that Israel retains the ability to retaliate even if its home front and military infrastructure suffer severe damage.

According to Eilam, if an Iranian attack were to damage the IDF’s strategic capabilities, submarines already deployed at sea and on alert would remain capable of operating. Submarines docked at the Haifa naval base could potentially be struck and rendered inoperable, making a continuous submarine presence at sea particularly important.

Israel’s Dolphin-class fleet is used for intelligence and reconnaissance missions throughout the Mediterranean. According to foreign reports, the submarines are also believed to provide Israel with a “second-strike” capability — the ability to retaliate following a devastating attack on the country and thereby preserve its strategic deterrence.

Eilam assessed that the INS Drakon’s larger dimensions may reflect Israel’s desire to broaden its operational capabilities, potentially including longer-range missiles capable of reaching targets in Iran while the submarine remains in the Mediterranean.

Such a capability could reduce the need for Israeli submarines to approach Iran’s coastline, which would require passage through the Suez Canal and could be dangerous or impossible under certain scenarios. The alternative route around the African continent would be considerably longer.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)