The IDF's new Dragon: "Our long arm is lengthening and strengthening"
After nearly a decade of construction, the INS Drakon has been delivered to the Israeli Navy and is conducting sea trials in Germany. The submarine, which cost approximately 550 million euros, is larger than its predecessors and will carry advanced weaponry and intelligence-gathering and strike capabilities.
The INS Drakon, the sixth submarine built at the TKMS shipyards in Germany, was delivered last week to the Israeli Navy, which is conducting sea trials on it ahead of its departure for Israel. The INS Drakon, a 'Dolphin AIP' model, was built at the TKMS company shipyards in the city of Kiel, Germany. The submarine, whose cost is estimated at approximately 550 million euros (about 634 million dollars), is the most expensive and advanced combat vessel in the history of the IDF.
The IDF's Dragon at sea
The new submarine is larger than the Navy's five other submarines. It will be equipped with advanced weaponry and is considered Israel's most significant strategic asset. The submarine has a crew of 55, including commanders, and is intended to carry out intelligence-gathering operations and possess strike capabilities at any point on the globe. Its construction lasted nearly a decade.
At the submarine's launch ceremony last year, the previous Navy commander, Major General David Salama, said:
"The INS Drakon will be a cornerstone in ensuring the security of the State of Israel — visible and invisible, it will reside in distant and unknown spaces for a prolonged period. A submarine that is an additional force multiplier for the capabilities and power of the Navy, the IDF, and the State of Israel — in the face of complex challenges, at the most strategic and important level for the State of Israel... At this time, tremendous changes are taking place in the submarine flotilla, operational methods are improving, the range of operational capabilities is becoming more sophisticated and stronger, and integration with security agencies is gaining momentum. All these place the submarine flotilla at the spearhead of the campaign for the security of the State of Israel, as the long arm of the IDF. With the addition of the INS Drakon to the depths of activity — our long arm is lengthening, strengthening significantly."
The submarine is expected to arrive in Israel in a few weeks. During the sea trials in Germany, the German Navy and special units of the security establishment are securing the submarine's area of operation and the crew members.
Trying to uncover its secrets
This is not the first time the name 'Drakon' has made headlines. About two years ago, it was reported that analysts from the Droxford Institute released a worrying report raising suspicions that Russia was collecting intelligence on the Israeli Navy.
According to the report, a ship tasked with espionage missions was found in an unusual area in the North Sea. At that same time, the IDF's INS Drakon submarine was in the area conducting a 'test sail'. It is possible that the Russian ship was collecting information on the submarine's acoustic signature as it is picked up by marine radar. The INS Drakon is considered the most expensive combat vessel in the IDF's possession, and its specifications are kept secret.
