Israel has officially received the “Dragon” (INS Drakon) submarine, which is considered to be the most advanced and expensive in its naval history, built by Germany, as regional tensions continue to escalate. This new submarine will significantly enhance Israel’s underwater combat and reconnaissance capabilities, further strengthening its maritime “second strike” deterrent capability.
The estimated $634 million “Dragon” submarine belongs to the Dolphin AIP class, built by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) in Germany, with a length of over 70 meters (about 230 feet) and a displacement of over 2,000 tons, making it the largest submarine built by Germany since World War II.
The delivery of the submarine was originally scheduled for 2025 but was finally completed on July 22, 2026, at the TKMS shipyard in Kiel, Germany.
Dr. Ehud Eilam, a former researcher at the Israeli Ministry of Defense and a national security expert, told Fox News that maintaining uninterrupted underwater deployments is crucial for Israel’s national survival.
“If Iran suddenly attacks Israel in some way, paralyzing the Israeli Defense Forces, including its strategic capabilities, then some of the submarines must be kept at sea around the clock and in a high state of alert,” Eilam said.
In such an extreme scenario, Eilam explained that other submarines docked at Haifa harbor may be attacked and rendered inoperable, highlighting the importance of “keeping submarines deployed at sea at all times”.
He stated that one of the key purposes of such maritime deployments is to ensure that Israel maintains deterrent and retaliatory capabilities even in the face of extreme circumstances.
“Israel procures submarines for multiple purposes. One of them is for deterrence and retaliation, for example, in the event that Iran successfully develops nuclear weapons,” Eilam said. “Israel must be prepared.”
In addition to enhancing underwater combat capabilities, the larger size of the new submarine may also bring more tactical options to the Israeli military. Eilam analyzed that compared to previous models, the “Dragon” submarine’s larger size could signify Israel’s desire to increase the range of missiles carried by submarines.
“Israel’s new submarine is larger than other submarines, indicating their desire to have more options, such as increasing the range of submarine missiles, so that even if Israeli submarines are in the Mediterranean, they can target any site in Iran,” Eilam stated.
He added, “This way, submarines do not have to cross the Suez Canal to approach Iran, which could be very dangerous or even impossible in some circumstances.”
According to the Israeli Ministry of Defense, the new submarine is equipped with various unique systems and breakthrough technologies that can further expand the capabilities of the Israeli Defense Forces in different operational domains.
The submarine is named “INS Drakon” (meaning “Dragon”), symbolizing power, uniqueness, and strength.
The Israeli Ministry of Defense stated that the Hebrew name of “Drakon” incorporates the three Hebrew letters “ד’,ק’,ר'”, in memory of the 1968 sinking of the Israeli Navy submarine “INS Dakar” and the 69 crew members who perished.