Israel’s newest submarine, the INS Drakon, has begun its journey from Germany to Israel and is expected to arrive within weeks, marking the completion of the Dolphin-class AIP submarine program for the Israeli Navy.

A send-off ceremony was held at the Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems shipyard in Kiel, Germany, where the Israeli flag was raised aboard the submarine before it departed. The ceremony capped years of joint Israeli-German planning and construction.

The Drakon is Israel’s sixth submarine and the third and final vessel in the Dolphin-class AIP series purchased by the Defense Ministry. The IDF says the submarine incorporates advanced technologies designed to significantly increase the Navy’s operational flexibility, range and endurance for years to come.

The submarine’s departure was accompanied by a major security operation involving the Defense Ministry’s Security Department and German security forces. A state ceremony is planned at the Haifa Naval Base when the Drakon arrives in Israel.

Israeli Navy Commander Vice Adm. Eyal Harel said the Drakon, together with three future Dakar-class submarines, will play a central role in the future of Israel’s submarine fleet, bringing greater operational range, longer mission endurance and increased operational power.

Senior Israeli and German officials attended the send-off, including Israeli Ambassador to Germany Ron Prosor, German Navy chief Vice Adm. Jan Christian Kaack, senior Israeli Navy and Defense Ministry officials, and representatives of TKMS. Defense Ministry Procurement Directorate head Zeev Landau described the Drakon as the IDF’s most advanced and complex weapons system and said its delivery reflects the strategic partnership between Israel and Germany.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)