Israel’s sixth submarine, INS Drakon, has begun its voyage from Germany to Israel and is expected to arrive within weeks, the IDF and Defense Ministry announced Tuesday.
A send-off ceremony was held this week at the TKMS shipyard in Kiel, marking the end of years of joint Israeli-German planning and construction and the start of the submarine’s journey home.
INS Drakon is the third and final submarine in the Dolphin-class AIP series purchased by the Defense Ministry for the Israeli Navy. According to the IDF, it incorporates advanced technologies designed to expand the Navy’s operational flexibility, range and endurance for years to come.
The Israeli flag was raised aboard the submarine at the ceremony, formally marking the start of its voyage to Israel.
Its departure was accompanied by a large-scale security operation led by the Defense Ministry’s Security Department together with German security forces. A state ceremony is planned at Haifa Naval Base once the submarine arrives.
(Photo: IDF)
Israeli Navy commander Vice Adm. Eyal Harel said the Drakon, together with three future Dakar-class submarines, would form a central part of the future of Israel’s submarine fleet.
“They will bring more advanced capabilities, greater operational range, longer endurance on missions and significant operational power,” Harel said.
He added that the submarine’s crews would operate “covertly, in the dark and in silence, far from home,” often in circumstances in which only those on board would know what was happening around them and would bear responsibility for critical decisions.
The send-off ceremony was also attended by Rear Adm. Amir Chimney, head of the Israeli Navy’s Technology, Logistics and Material Command; Zeev Landau, head of the Defense Ministry’s Procurement Directorate; Israeli Ambassador to Germany Ron Prosor; German Navy chief Vice Adm. Jan Christian Kaack; and representatives of the Navy, Defense Ministry and TKMS.
(Photo: IDF)
Landau described the submarine as “the most advanced and complex weapons system in the IDF” and said its delivery reflected the strategic partnership between Israel and Germany.
He said the two countries were now discussing additional joint projects that could expand cooperation into new areas of development and production.
Prosor said the submarine’s delivery demonstrated the depth of ties between Jerusalem and Berlin and their cooperation in confronting shared strategic challenges.
TKMS CEO Oliver Burkhard said the Drakon’s departure marked the successful completion of a complex program built on years of trust, technological expertise and shared responsibility.
“Israel is an important partner for us in the maritime arena,” Burkhard said, adding that cooperation would continue with the future Dakar-class submarines.