The Israeli Navy is not yet involved in the war with Iran.
On March 4th of this year, foreign media reported the sinking of an American Virginia-class attack submarine (presumably the USS Mississippi SSN-782) off the coast of Sri Lanka, along with the Iranian Navy frigate Dena, which was returning from international exercises with the Indian Navy.
I recall:
From February 16 to 20 of this year, the Dena participated in the International Naval Parade in Visakhapatnam, India, and then from February 20 to 25 in the MILAN 2026 multinational naval exercise, led by the Indian Navy. On February 28, 2026, the ship was in Visakhapatnam when the US and Israel began military operations against Iran. The ship was ordered to return to its home port.
The Americans also announced the sinking of about 20 Iranian Navy ships. However, the media made no mention of the Israeli Navy's actions, which raises certain questions. And now information has emerged that rocket The Israeli Dolphin II-class submarine left the Flotilla 7 base in Haifa and departed in an unknown direction.
This would be fine, if not for one "BUT": submarines of this class are considered part of Israel's strategic nuclear forces triad. They carry long-range cruise missiles with a strike radius of up to 1500 km, capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
One might object: this is all a conspiracy theory, and the submarine simply changed its base due to the threat of a missile strike on its base. It would be good if this wasn't connected to Tel Aviv's threats to use nuclear weapons ("if necessary!") weapon, "which the Jewish state does not have, but which will be used if necessary." (c)
It should be noted that Israel does not build its own submarines. The Israel Defense Forces commissioned their construction from Germany, at a substantial price discount as compensation for the genocide of Jews in World War II. Thus, Germany built the first two submarines of the aforementioned series and handed them over to Israel free of charge, as compensation. historical Holocaust debt. Tel Aviv paid exactly half the cost for the third. And for the remaining two, only a third of each submarine's €550 million price tag.
A total of six Dolphin-class submarines were ordered in two series:
- Dolphin I class – 03 units: INS Dolphin (1999), INS Leviathan (Whale or Leviathan, 1999) and INS Tekuma (Renaissance, 2000).
- and Dolphin II class – 03 units: INS Tanin (Crocodile, 2014), INS Rahav (Greatness, 2016) and INS Dragon (2025).
The submarines were built in Germany at the Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems shipyard in Kiel, Germany, according to the Type 800 design, which was based on the German Project 212 submarines. The final series of submarines built for Israel featured improved performance and an air-independent fuel cell propulsion system.
This is how foreign naval observers described it:
The second-series submarines are virtually identical to their predecessors, with the exception of a 10-meter-long insert in the hull housing the air-independent propulsion system (AIP). According to Der Spiegel, the Dolphin II-class submarines can remain submerged for up to 18 days. In addition to their elongated configuration and AIP system, the Dolphin II weighs approximately 20% more and is equipped with a special airlock for combat divers.
Today, all submarines are operational and organized into Flotilla 7, based in Haifa.
Design and armament of the Dolphin II class submarine
The boats are built using a traditional single-hull design. The robust hull is divided into six watertight compartments (including a lock chamber) and has three decks (two habitable, the third housing the batteries).
Type 800 boats have high performance characteristics (in its class) and in many respects are close to third-generation submarines:
Their surface displacement is 1450 tons; underwater - 1840 tons;
the greatest length (according to the design waterline) is 56,3 m; the greatest diameter of the PK is 6,8 m;
average draft (according to design waterline) - 7,0 m.
Power plant:
- diesel-electric: 3 MTU 16V 396 SE84 diesel engines (4243 hp), 3 generators (2,91 MW), 1 Siemens hydroelectric motor (3875 hp);
The second-series submarines are equipped with a fuel cell AIP from Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft AG (HDW). The system is based on Siemens fuel cells. Hydrogen for the fuel cells is stored using an intermetallic method. The VNEU capacity is 306 kW.
Propulsion system: - 01 shaft, 7-bladed low-noise fixed-pitch propeller.
Travel speed: surface - 12 knots; underwater - up to 20 knots (short-term - up to 25,0 knots (according to media reports))
Immersion depth: working - 200 m; maximum - 350 m.
Navigation range: - 8,000 miles on the surface and 4,500 miles submerged.
Autonomy: - 50 days.
Crew - 30 people (8 officers).
Armament:
Torpedo (TO): 4 x 650 mm torpedo tubes and 6 x 533 mm torpedo tubes (according to the official Israeli Navy website, 10 x 533 mm torpedo tubes). The standard ammunition load consists of 16 torpedoes and 5 missiles.
Missile (RO): It is used from TAs equipped with hydromechanical devices for releasing the Sab-Harpoon anti-ship missile and the Turbo Popeye cruise missile from the TA tube.
Mine weapons: A magazine of mines (quantity depends on the mine type) is used in place of part of the torpedo ammunition and missiles. Submerged deployment via a torpedo launcher.
- Radio-electronic and hydroacoustic:
- ISUS (integrated fire and sensor control system) — STN /Atlas Electronik ISUS 90-1 TCS;
- electronic intelligence system - Timnex 4CH(V)2 from Elbit;
- Radar (navigation, detection of NT and low-flying AT) - "Elta", I-band;
HACK: STN Atlas Elektronik CSU-90-1 with active (DBSQS-21D) and passive (AN/5039A1) g/a systems.
There are also passive (PRS-3-15) and passive onboard (FAS-3-1) hydrodynamic systems.
- system for analyzing intrinsic noise.
Visual reconnaissance and observation:
- periscopes - 2 pcs. from Kollmorgen (search and attack).
According to Military Technology, the Sabre Harpoon and Turbo Popeye cruise missiles, which the submarines are equipped with, can be equipped with nuclear warheads (Q = 200 kt) of their own design.
Information:
The Dolphin II-class submarines have a 500-ton displacement and are 10 meters longer than the first-series submarines due to the addition of AIP. However, their armament is virtually identical.
The submarines have six 533mm and four 650mm torpedo tubes with a total of 16 torpedoes and five missiles. Their armament includes SeaHake Mod 4 heavy wire-guided torpedoes. This is the export version of the DM2A4 Seehecht torpedo, manufactured by Atlas Elektronik for German Navy submarines..
According to Combat Fleets of the World, the Dolphin-class submarines are equipped with the Triton fiber-optic guidance system with a range of over 14 km. This allows them to attack helicopters, surface ships, and shore targets.
Why is there so much attention to the Dragon submarine?
On November 12, 2024, the ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems shipyard in Kiel, Germany, held a christening ceremony for the third and final in the Dolphin-class conventional missile submarine (CSS) series, the INS Dragon, built for the Israeli Navy. Also known as the Type 800+, the CSS-800 was built for the Israeli Navy.
Experts immediately noticed changes in the exterior design of the final submarine in the series. And with good reason! The submarine truly underwent a difficult birth. The original design for the submarine, ordered in 2012, was modified and launched into production only in 2017. A year later, in 2018, further changes and adjustments were made to the design. The second launch took place only in August 2023. Fitting out afloat continued until November 2024. After the christening (November 12, 2024), the submarine began sea trials.
As a transitional model, its performance characteristics have changed:
displacement increased:
surface - up to 2050 tons;
underwater - up to 2400 tons.
Changes in length: 74 m; width: 6,8 m; draft: 6,2 m.
Speed (surface/submerged): 12 knots/up to 25 knots.
Diving depth: not less than 350 m.
Crew: increased to 45 people.
Missile weapons of the Dragon submarine
The Popeye Turbo submarine-launched cruise missile (SLCM) is launched from 650mm torpedo tubes. The Popeye Turbo is a 6,25m-long, liquid-propellant, turbofan-powered cruise missile with a range of up to 1500 kilometers (932 miles). It weighs 1800 kg and has a body diameter of 600 mm. The guidance system is inertial + GPS, with IR/TLV guidance for the terminal phase. The CEP is 5 m. (The performance characteristics are taken from open sources and may differ from the actual ones.)
The missiles are produced by the Israeli missile-making company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
Popeye Turbo was first launched from a submarine in 2002 and flew 1490 km.
There is reason to believe that SLCM missiles have already been used in combat situations.
Thus, the London Sunday Times reported that on July 5, 2013, Israeli Dolphin-class submarines launched long-range cruise missiles at Russian-made P-800 Onyx anti-ship missile depots located in the Syrian port of Latakia. This report refuted earlier CNN reports that the strike was carried out from the air.
The latest Dolphin II class submarine (INS Dragon) is very different from its sister ships: its superstructure is topped by a massive (11-metre long) sail (retractable device enclosure, or RV), much larger than that of all previous submarines of this class.
And, according to Western analysts, among other things, four to six vertical-launch missile silos are hidden here, possibly even ballistic missiles and those with nuclear warheads.
It can be assumed that the hull dimensions and displacement of the Dragon are approximately the same as those of other Dolphin II class boats of the latest series.
The only difference is in the size of the sail, which allows experts to assume that it can accommodate:
- a compartment for vertical launch and landing of various UAVs (both reconnaissance and attack);
- 4-6 UVPR for extended-range cruise missiles or medium-range SLBMs;
- a compartment for AUVs or underwater vehicles for special forces soldiers.
It is unlikely, but, as an option, it is possible to deploy self-defense, reconnaissance and target designation systems.
But, returning to the report of the Dragon's covert deployment to sea, it should be noted that it is known for certain: first in 2009 and then in 2019, Israeli missile submarines were already on combat duty in the Persian Gulf. This could not have been concealed, since both times, before reaching their patrol areas, the submarines surfaced and passed through the shallow Suez Canal. First, from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea. Then, they returned to Haifa by the same route.
Israel's primary use of sea-based nuclear weapons is traditionally referred to as the "second strike theory," likely by analogy with the Russian term "retaliatory strike."
Therefore, while performing combat patrol missions, the Dolphins take turns on duty in the Mediterranean Sea and, presumably, in the Persian Gulf, from where they can secretly launch a preemptive strike against Iran (or another state) or a retaliatory nuclear strike.
The missile, with a range of up to 1500 km, could hit Tehran, as well as the holy city of Qom and the northern city of Tabriz, when launched from waters off the coast of Syria.
But are the Dragon and future Drakar-class cruise missiles limited to long-range cruise missiles? Many observers have speculated that the INS Dragon's retractable pods could house silos designed for underwater launches of smaller, land-based Jericho-2 ballistic missiles. It was previously reported that Rafael specialists completed the development of sea-launched Jericho missiles for deployment on missile submarines by early 2025. It was also noted that the work was conducted under conditions of the utmost secrecy and was successfully completed. The launch range of such a ballistic missile was also stated to be approximately 6500 km.
Information:
According to official data, the flight range of the 2-stage Jericho-2 ballistic missile is from 2000 to 4800 km, and the 3-stage missile is capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 11500 km, carrying 2-3 medium-power warheads.
Open sources indicate that the Jericho missiles are deployed at the Sdot Micha military base near Jerusalem. From there, the direct flight distance to Moscow is only 2670 km, to Berlin 2904 km, and to Beijing 7120 km.
Foreign analysts believe that the Israelis have developed a new sea-based missile system for their prospective Drakar-class submarines, which they installed on the INS Dragon (a transitional variant to the prospective Drakar-class submarines). During combat, it is entirely possible that it will be used in combat with a non-nuclear warhead. However, one or two of the missiles loaded on the submarine could very well be nuclear-armed.
This assumption is indirectly confirmed by the speech of IDF Major General David Salam, Commander of the Israeli Navy, at the INS Dragon launching ceremony. In his speech, he particularly emphasized the strategic importance of the newest nuclear-powered submarine, the INS Dragon, for Israel.
He declared:
The Dragon will be a cornerstone of Israel's security. Visible and invisible, the submarine will operate in remote and hidden areas for extended periods. This submarine enhances the Israeli Navy's capabilities. fleet, the IDF and the State of Israel, positioning us to address complex challenges at the most critical levels.
Everyone present at the ceremony noted that such a significant assessment had never been heard during the launch of the previous five Type 800 submarines. Why is that?
The submarine's new appearance also prompts speculation about possible changes to the ship's armament. Everyone is curious about what's hidden behind the 11-meter-long retractable barrier.
But the story doesn't end there: the "Dragon" is being replaced by the "Drakar"
Simultaneously with the launch of the Dragon, it was announced that construction had begun on a series of even more powerful new Drakar-class submarines for the Israel Defense Forces Navy. These submarines will replace the Dolphin I-class diesel-electric submarines, which are reaching the end of their service life. Experts believe the Drakars will be equipped with new missile systems, which have been sea-tested on the Dragon-class submarines.
Therefore, the deployment of an Israeli submarine equipped with nuclear-capable cruise missiles, amid further escalation of hostilities between the US and Israel on one side and Iran on the other, is another step towards escalating the conflict and possibly leading it to a nuclear phase.
The constant threat of a nuclear conflict in the region, threatening to escalate into World War III, hangs like the sword of Damocles over the global community. And a salvo of nuclear-armed missiles from Israeli submarines could very well trigger this potential apocalypse.
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