Israel’s fourth Dolphin-class submarine docks in Haifa
Foreign media say German-made subs provide ’second strike’ nuclear capability.
By Haaretz | Sep. 23, 2014
▻http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.617543
The INS Tanin, the fourth German Dolphin-class submarine in Israel’s fleet, docked in Haifa on Tuesday. Attesting to the Tanin’s supreme importance to Israel’s arsenal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Reuven Rivlin, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon and IDF chief of staff Benny Gantz were on hand to greet the big blue craft.
According to reports in foreign media, the German-made submarines can carry cruise missiles with a range of thousands of kilometers, and can be equipped with nuclear warheads. According to these reports, the Israeli submarine fleet is meant to allow for a “second strike” in the event of a nuclear attack.
The Tanin’s 8,000-kilometer trip from a German shipyard to Haifa took 20 days.
A senior Navy commander said the Tanin is equipped with an AIP (air-independent propulsion) system that allows it to remain underwater for longer, thus improving its capabilities to conduct covert missions. In addition, the new submarine is equipped with advanced sonar systems and improved defensive capabilities.
A fifth submarine, Rahav, is expected to join the Israel Navy in approximately six months, while a sixth submarine, estimated to cost about 400 million euros ($516 million), will arrive in 2019.
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