Israel Receives 73-Meter INS Drakon From Germany as Final Dolphin II Submarine
Updated
Updated · UNITED24 Media · Aug 6
Israel Receives 73-Meter INS Drakon From Germany as Final Dolphin II Submarine
3 articles · Updated · UNITED24 Media · Aug 6
Summary
INS Drakon, Israel’s sixth and final Dolphin II submarine, was quietly handed over in Kiel and then put to sea flying the Israeli flag.
The 73-meter boat is far larger than the standard 57.3-meter Dolphin II design, with an enlarged sail that has fueled unconfirmed reports of 2 to 8 vertical launch cells.
Defense Express said Drakon was ordered in 2011, began construction in 2012 and was launched only in 2024, making its roughly 14-year build unusually long for a diesel-electric submarine.
The submarine is expected to finish trials before sailing to Israel and may have served as a testbed for the Dakar-class boats now under construction at the same TKMS shipyard.
Russia showed unusual interest during Drakon’s 2024 sea trials, reportedly sending 2 reconnaissance ships to monitor it, highlighting the vessel’s potential deterrent significance.
Why did Israel's new INS Drakon submarine take 12 years to build, and what secret weapons hide inside its unusually large sail?
What groundbreaking technologies prompted Russia to send spy ships to monitor Israel’s most expensive and secretive new submarine during its sea trials?