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New sub to stop at sea for Dakar memorial service

INS Tanin, the latest German-made addition to the 7th Flotilla, will arrive in Haifa after its 20-day voyage.

A senior military source said Sunday that the fourth Dolphin-class submarine joined the navy's operations fleet over the weekend, a few days after it left from the German port of Kiel.

 

 

The navy's latest addition, the INS Tanin, will travel 8,000 kilometers on its journey to its new home port in Haifa, spending most of the trip underwater. For the first few days of the inaugural voyage, the submarine hosted Navy chief Maj. Gen. Ram Rothberg, who later returned to Israel.

 

INS Tanin leaving port (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
INS Tanin leaving port (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

 

The INS Tanin will make the rest of the journey with its 50 crew members, who have already replaced the German flag with Israel's Star of David.

 

The submarine plotted a direct course from the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, and it will pass through the Straits of Gibraltar during its 20-day voyage which will end in Haifa on the 23rd of September.

 

Flag-changing ceremony on INS Tanin (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
Flag-changing ceremony on INS Tanin (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

 

Before its arrival in Israel, the INS Tanin will stop 270 miles from the shore, where the INS Dakar sank, to hold an open-sea memorial service for its fallen sailors.

 

The INS Tanin will be the navy's first submarine of the AIP (air-independent propulsion) variety, which extends the vessel's endurance underwater.

 

INS Tanin leaving German port (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
INS Tanin leaving German port (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

 

The fifth Dolphin-class submersible will arrive in six months, while the sixth German-made purchase is expected to be delivered in 2019.

 

INS Tanin sailing to Israel (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
INS Tanin sailing to Israel (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

 

"The procurement project of the new submersibles began seven years ago," said a senior naval officer Sunday evening. "The sub uses fuel cells with hydrogen and oxygen which allows her additional stealth capabilities. It can handle new orders mid-mission even when sailing with basic munitions."

 

The Dolphin-class submarine is a versatile vehicle capable of adapting for a wide-range of deployments. The 7th Flotilla, Israel's submarine unit, represents the most far-reaching tool in the arsenal of the Navy, the IDF, and the State of Israel.

 

INS Tanin's crew (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
INS Tanin's crew (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

 

Throughout the year the submariners undertake intensive missions both near and far from Israel's shores, operating under a cloak of secrecy.

 

The INS Tanin will soon be joined by the INS Rahav, which was christened in April 2013 and will arrive in Israel when it becomes operational.

 

The senior source further noted that such vessels operate for 30 to 40 years, though the lifespan of modern submarines have been cut short by new developments to underwater weapons systems which cannot be integrated into contemporary designs.

 


פרסום ראשון: 09.07.14, 22:29
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