JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Israel’s sixth submarine, INS Drakon, or Dragon, is en route from Germany after a send-off ceremony at Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems’ shipyard in Kiel, the Israel Defense Forces and Defense Ministry announced Tuesday.
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An Israeli flag was raised aboard the Dolphin 2-class vessel, officially marking the start of its voyage. A second ceremony is planned at Haifa Naval Base upon its arrival.
The military said the submarine is equipped with “innovative and advanced technologies that place Israel at the forefront of global military technology and will enhance the Israeli Navy’s operational flexibility for years to come.”
INS Drakon is the third and final boat in the Dolphin-class series with air-independent propulsion purchased from Germany. It is Israel’s sixth submarine overall and is expected to arrive within weeks.
The vessel had been slated to carry the name Dakar, after the Israeli submarine that sank in 1968 with all hands. Relatives of some of the fallen sailors objected to reusing the name. Drakon was adopted as a compromise. Dakar will instead be reserved for the Navy’s next class of submarines, scheduled for delivery in the early 2030s.
Israeli Navy commander Vice Adm. Eyal Harel said Drakon, together with the three future Dakar-class boats, will form a central part of the fleet. Officials who attended the Kiel ceremony included Defense Ministry procurement chief Zeev Landau, Israeli Ambassador to Germany Ron Prosor and German Navy chief Vice Adm. Jan Christian Kaack.
The departure was accompanied by a large security operation coordinated by the Defense Ministry and German authorities
Mazel Tov