Israel receives most advanced and expensive submarine ever built for its navy, strengthening underwater deterrence

The INS Drakon, stretching more than 70 meters in length and weighing over 2,000 tons, is the largest and most advanced submarine in the Middle East.

By Ailin Vilches Arguello, The Algemeiner

Israel has officially received the INS Drakon submarine from Germany, the most expensive submarine ever delivered to the Israeli Navy, expanding its strategic naval capabilities and reinforcing its long-standing underwater deterrence as Jerusalem and Berlin continue to deepen their decades-long defense partnership.

Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), one of the world’s leading naval shipbuilders specializing in advanced submarines, delivered the INS Drakon this week to the Israeli Navy, marking the arrival of the sixth and final Dolphin II-class submarine.

Originally scheduled for delivery in 2025, the submarine’s arrival marks a historic milestone as the largest vessel of its kind built in Germany since World War II, with an estimated cost of €550 million ($634 million), further deepening the long-standing German-Israeli defense partnership while enhancing Israel’s strategic undersea capabilities.

Israel first signed the agreement with TKMS in 2022 for the construction of the INS Drakon and three additional Dakar-class submarines in a deal valued at around €3 billion, with the German government expected to cover roughly 20 percent of the cost as part of Berlin’s commitment to supporting Israel’s security and maintaining close defense ties between the two countries.

For decades, Germany has played a central role in developing Israel’s submarine fleet, with TKMS expected to remain a key partner in expanding and modernizing the Israeli Navy’s underwater capabilities throughout the coming years.

The INS Drakon, stretching more than 70 meters in length and weighing over 2,000 tons, is the largest and most advanced submarine in the Middle East, with its expanded dimensions allowing for a larger crew, increased operational range, and the integration of a broader array of advanced systems and weapons.

Starting in 2031, Israel is also expected to receive three additional Dakar-class submarines, delivered approximately every 18 months, which will gradually replace the Dolphin, Leviathan and Tekuma submarines that entered service between 1999 and 2000 and have formed the backbone of Israel’s underwater fleet for more than two decades.

Even amid international calls to boycott and isolate Israel, Jerusalem and Berlin have continued to strengthen their defense cooperation, with the submarine sector expected to remain one of the main pillars of the German-Israeli strategic partnership in the decades ahead.

In recent years, Germany has also become one of Israel’s largest defense customers, largely due to its purchase of the Arrow 3 missile defense system — an advanced Israeli-developed interceptor designed to destroy ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere — in a deal valued at approximately €4 billion, making Germany Israel’s second-largest defense export customer between 2021 and 2025.