Israel’s latest submarine, INS Drakon (‘Dragon’), has been launched in Kiel, Germany. It indicates significant growth in Israeli submarine capabilities. A variant of the successful Dolphin-II class, its unique lines also showcase Israel’s fiercely independent naval thinking. INS Drakon is larger than any previous Israeli submarine, being much longer than the first two Dolphin-II boats. Even more noticeable is the ginormous sail. This likely contains its defining feature: advanced new missiles.
Placing the missile tubes in the hull below the sail allows for much longer missiles than if they had to be accommodated under the deck casing. The sail adds several meters to their possible length, although weight and stability still needs to be considered.
Interestingly, despite the new missiles in the sail, the submarine still has four extra torpedo tubes in the bow. These appear to be unchanged from the previous Dophin-I & II class boats. The extra tubes are larger than regular 533mm (21 inch) torpedo tubes. They are understood to be dedicated toIsraeli developed cruise missiles. These missiles can be nuclear armed and, it is believed, form part of Israel’s nuclear deterrent.
