$634 million is the reported price of the INS Drakon, the sixth Dolphin-class submarine handed over to Israel by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems at its Kiel shipyard in late July, past its original 2025 delivery date. At more than 70 meters (230 feet) long with displacement exceeding 2,000 tons, it is the largest submarine Germany has built since World War II. Defense analysts say the vessel adds a sea-based layer of deterrence and retribution capability that Israel's military planners treat as central to its Iran posture.
Fleet composition and vessel specs
The INS Drakon is the third modified Dolphin II-class boat in Israel's inventory, bringing the Dolphin-class total to six hulls. Its Dolphin AIP designation indicates air-independent propulsion, allowing extended submerged endurance. TKMS CEO Oliver Burkhard told Ynet Global that delivery of "the last boat of the previous series" proceeded as planned within the broader submarine program for Israel.
At the 2024 naming ceremony in Kiel, Israel's Ministry of Defense said the vessel carries unique systems expanding IDF capabilities across multiple operational arenas. No further technical specifications were disclosed publicly.
Deterrence logic and the Iran calculus
Dr. Ehud Eilam, an Israeli national security expert and former Ministry of Defense researcher, told Fox News Digital that maintaining a continuous undersea presence is central to Israel's survivability planning. If Iran struck Israeli land-based assets and degraded the Haifa harbor facility, submarines already at sea would retain the ability to respond while harbor-based boats remained vulnerable or out of action.
Eilam also tied the INS Drakon's larger size to extended missile range. A bigger hull can carry longer-range weapons, potentially placing all Iranian targets within reach from the Mediterranean Sea without the submarine needing to transit the Suez Canal, which he described as operationally risky, or route around Africa, which he called time-prohibitive.
Name and lineage
Israel's Ministry of Defense chose the name Drakon (Dragon) because it contains the Hebrew letters corresponding to Dakar (ד׳, ק׳, ר׳), commemorating the submarine INS Dakar and its crew. The naming ceremony was held at the TKMS facility in Kiel in 2024.