Germany delivers Israel’s biggest-ever submarine

Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems has delivered the IMS Drakon submarine to the Israel Navy, the most expensive submarine ever received by Israel. The delivery was originally scheduled for 2025 but was delayed. The IMS Drakon is the sixth submarine procured from TKMS and the biggest built in Germany since the Second World War, with an estimated cost of €550 million ($634 million).

Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) has delivered the IMS Drakon submarine to the Israel Navy, marking the most expensive submarine ever received by Israel. The delivery, originally scheduled for 2025, was delayed. The IMS Drakon is the sixth submarine procured by Israel from TKMS for its 7th fleet and the biggest built in Germany since the Second World War, with an estimated cost of €550 million ($634 million). According to international media reports, the submarine is over 70 meters long and weighs over 2,000 tons, making it the largest and most powerful submarine in the Middle East. Its size allows for a larger crew and a wider range of equipment and weapons. The IMS Drakon, along with the IMS Tanin and IMS Rahav, features an AIP system that allows batteries to be charged underwater, enabling longer dive times. Looking ahead, three more Dakar-class submarines are expected to arrive in Israel starting in 2031, at a rate of one every 18 months, replacing the Dolphin, Leviathan and Tekuma submarines, which entered service in 1999 and 2000. Israel signed the contract with TKMS in 2022 at an estimated cost of €3 billion, with the German government expected to finance about 20% of the cost. The submarine industry is expected to be a major anchor in the German-Israeli defense relationship in the coming decades. In terms of Israeli sales, the Arrow 3 deal has placed Germany as Israel's second biggest defense exports customer between 2021 and 2025, according to SIPRI data, accounting for 21% of Israeli defense exports.