INS Drakon is the third and final submarine in the Dolphin-class AIP series acquired by the Israeli Ministry of Defence for the Israeli Navy. TKMS described the series as one of its most technically complex submarine programmes.
The Israeli Ministry of Defence said the vessel incorporated advanced technologies intended to expand the navy’s operational flexibility for years to come. Its delivery brings those capabilities into service after years of joint planning and construction by Israeli officials, naval personnel and the German shipbuilder.
An Israeli flag was raised aboard INS Drakon during a send-off ceremony in Kiel, formally marking the start of its voyage. The event closed the programme’s joint construction phase and shifted the focus towards the submarine’s arrival and entry into Israeli service.
The departure was protected by a large-scale security operation led by the Israeli Ministry of Defence’s Security Department in cooperation with German security forces. Israel plans to hold a state ceremony at Haifa Naval Base after the submarine reaches the country.
Senior Israeli and German military and government officials attended the ceremony, including Israeli Navy Commander Vice Admiral Eyal Harel and German Navy Chief Vice Admiral Jan Christian Kaack. The delegations also included Israeli Defence Procurement Directorate head Zeev Landau, Israeli Ambassador to Germany Ron Prosor, Rear Admiral Amir Chimney and representatives involved in the project.
With the Dolphin AIP programme completed, TKMS is already building the Israeli Navy’s next generation of submarines under the three-vessel Dakar programme. Production of the first Dakar-class boat began several years ago, extending a relationship that has evolved in response to changing maritime requirements.
Oliver Burkhard, chief executive officer of TKMS, said: “With the departure of the ‘INS DRAKON,’ we are successfully concluding a challenging program that was characterized over many years by trust, technological expertise, and shared responsibility. Israel is an important partner for us in the maritime sector.”
The Dakar class will form the next stage of that industrial and defence relationship. Burkhard added: “With the ‘DAKAR’ class, we are continuing our collaboration and demonstrating that TKMS not only develops complex naval programs but also reliably brings them to fruition.”
The submarine projects form part of wider German-Israeli defence cooperation developed over several decades. TKMS shipyards have built successive generations of vessels for the Israeli Navy, including Dolphin-class submarines and Sa’ar 6-class corvettes.
