four meals per day for dozens of sailors, all alone, in a kitchen only 1.5 square metres big and there is no place to run or to hide.

HQ is in a reinforced nuclear bunker so even in a nuclear attack it will survive. Comment - if you know where the bunker is situated, you can albait what you write, take it out with multiple Nucklear strikes in a row att the same spot. Further - The reason this system of firing control developed was because of - commanders who weren't able to make contact with their HQ's (technical problem with satellite or damage to sub communications the crew were unaware of). It'd be disastrous if a nuclear war started over such a minor technical issue. Comment - If as I suggests Israel is wiped out with their Headquarter as well. any Comander in an Israeli sub would still be able to get knowledge about it, and know who carried out the strike, and take revenge on the attacker. An Israeli comander in such a sub dont need any contact with Israel, to get this knowledge, He has the Whole World he can listen to about what have happen. Further - These firing controls are a well established part of any second-strike capability. It also demonstrates the imperative of civilian control over the military. Comment - If Israel is wiped out as I has suggested above, there is nobody to contact in Israel, neither Militarily nor Civilian. Arn.Sweden.

It's easy to say Israel should apologize but the fact remains Israel will always be threatened by everyone in that area. Until Turkey has to look over its shoulder for a knife from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt and the various arab settlers throughout the Middle East, I think they should just continue pretending they have nothing to do with the extremists.

Israel isn't afforded the luxury like America where we can worry about the feelings of those who want to kill them. Soldiers are there to defend and protect. The entire State of Israel are soldiers.

there are 3 (not 2) iron domes, and "obama" didnt pay for them (invented, built and funded by israel). "obama" promised to pay for 3 more (probably not going to happen).

The needs of his injured ego could precipitate tragedy for all sides. He should be put on trial now for pre-meditated war.

You don't say much and you say a lot. Let the right reader beware. Kol Hakavot l Zhal

Afraid of this nazi-wochenschau -like military propaganda...! The same or similar cheap propaganda is made almost in every country. Incl. Turkey.

Israeli news, Israeli site. dont let the fact that its in english confuse you. in israel or rather in hebrew we call them soldiers of the sea (חייל הים) sailor means sea soldier, so we refer to them as such. lol, if anything we're horrible translaters!

Philos 1) How the submarine commander gets his orders and the process of launching a nuclear strike is something that non of us here really know, Other than Bibi and Barak other than the submarine commanders I am not sure anybody knows the exactly how a situation like that would be handled. 2) Even the huge US nuclear subs which never need to refuel or come up for air are still limited by the stores because submarines can't produce food. The subs probably have enough supplies for about a month at sea which is the reason for a large fleet. With alot of subs you can rotate so one sub can go home for maintenance and resupplying and another continues the mission. Israel is also believes to have an electronic surveillance and submarine supply base in Eritrea which means subs don't have to come all the way back to Israel for food and fuel. Neo True three subs are not alot although right now the only other countries operating submarines in the region are Egypt with its four Soviet era Romeo class submarines and Iran which has three modern Kilo class subs, So by the size of the submarine fleets of the rest of the region three modern subs is ok. In 2008 Israel took delivery of two more subs which have been fitted out with Israeli equipment and undergoing sea trials with the Israeli navy and are expected to enter service later this year. Six subs is still not exactly a huge fleet but its bigger than either Iran or the arabs have. Also considering Israel has never had more than three subs at a time a fleet of six subs all installed with Israeli equipment & modified to Israeli specifications to Israel must feel like being a submarine superpower.

Mr Allan White seems to forget that this is not the case of an "accident happened so now need to apologize". Turkey let a ship to sail in order to break a legal blockade, that is, to perform an act of aggression by the Turkish. This has nothing to do with an "accident" which would make an apology easier, and as such Israel has nothing to apologize for. In this case, the Turks should apologize by sending a provocation ship in the first place. As for the "strength", may be the Turkish navy is larger, but technologically, the IDF is quite a bit more advanced, and quality is better than quantity.

Israel needs the Messiah

Good for you and I hope you build more deterrents. Being nice will not allow you survive only being vigilant will!

Mercifully you have that deterrent, hopefully these mad neighbors of yours get it........God Bless you all.

"...submarines are historically referred to as boats due to the nature of the first submarines. A boat in Naval terminology is a vessel that is launched or tended from a larger ship. The earliest submarines required support vessels to maintain and launch them, hence they were termed boats...."

These submarines are of the finest combined German and Israeli technology, so a very few are sufficient. The first of them were part of Germany's continuing reparations and the later ones were traded to Israel for an Israeli submarine-based strategic weapons system lsrael should not apologise. An expression of regret and reparations should be sufficient. The Turks who were injured and killed on the ship had violently attacked Israeli soldiers who were boarding the ship in concordance with established laws of the sea. There was actually no real need for the ships at all, as the Red Crescent and Red Cross societies were already allowed to bring anything they cared to into Gaza and were so doing. It was the fact that they weren't willing to bring in explosives and weapons that was the problem. The Turkish agression towards Israel has pushed the Israelis into new defence accords with Greece, so the Turks have only injured themselves. The Turks will not attack Israel when they have Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia on their other border. Oh and China has no navy, either, or sailors. It is all the Peoples' Liberation Army

You are either confused or don't understand the world today. You slam Israel and defend Turkey. What is your motive?

A sub commanded by someone with an army rank? Submariners are "soldiers"? Geez, Life on a sub is, unusual and secretive: tell that to the a group of US submariners and you'll get a burst of snickers and loud hoots I must admit the method of securing docking lines to the ship is "different." Never seen multiple winches used that way.

If you knew anything about a sub, you'd realize that even one is sufficient to get the job done!

The Problem with the doctrine of mutually assured destruction is that it only works if your enemy cares about death. Iranian and Arab Muslims are constantly proving that both on the individual level and leadership level, these fanatics actually believe they are doing Gods will to blow up Israel and will be blessed for it even if it means turning their whole country to glass via Israeli retaliation. Therefore Israel has no choice but to do the 1st strike.

The Isrealies used peiced together weapons and cannons from neapolians era to hold back the Arabs in the six day war now they have some of the best made weapons available I say that the USA should stand aside Israel can take care of their own business maybe after they win the rest of the middle east can join the 21st century

Good comments Noah. Agree 100%.

Snorkels are only pertinent on diesel electric submarines. For nuclears, there is no need to surface, not for air to breathe or for air for the engines. Nuclear submarines can stay submerged indefinitely, only limited by food requirements.

Israel, the US is right beside you and the majority of Americans are on your side!!!!!! "Whoever blesses Israel will be blessed. Whoever curses Israel will be cursed!"-G_d

Sir, most Americans (mainly conservative Republicans) are extremely grateful for Israel. Now if we could convince America's Jews that voting for the Democrat is cutting their own throats, so to speak. God bless Israel.

I really enjoyed reading this article, and I'm always happy to know that the Israeli fleet is out there, waiting, letting the Islamist component of the Moslem world know that doom is one command away, and that command, if given, would be in Hebrew. But speaking of Hebrew, this article has some fairly serious translation problems in English. I think it is worth having an editor go through it. Examples: There are no soldiers on submarines, they are sailors. The commander's first quote in the interview is incomprehensible. This article will get massive hits since it's on Drudge, so it's worth fixing.

This Turk leadrer is trying to restart the Otoman Empire with his Iranian friend. You don't bend and apologize to morons like them. You just get ready to hit them hard. The sooner the better. Israeli army is not the size is the quality, don't forget it

NVA says that what America has done for Israel is not something to be grateful for. If that is the case, please return out foreign aide monies, our Patriot Missile batteries, and any advanced weaponry we have supplied. Unlike Israel, the USA has never slaughtered members of your armed forces in cold blood. Remember the Liberty! It's people like you who momentarily make me question my support for Israel. But I don't think you represent a majority of Israelis, thank G_d!

An arab submarine is a camel with a snorkel mask.