Up Periscope! A deep dive inside Israel’s newest 'Drakon' submarine at sea

In her recent field visit, the journalist boarded Israel's newest submarine, INS Drakon, hours before it docked at the Haifa naval base. The submarine remained submerged, visible only from a few hundred meters away. The group passed by older Dolphin-class submarines and various tankers and ships, including a female combat soldier whose presence at sea reflected the increasing role of women in Israeli naval forces.

Upon boarding, they saw the Drakon's green turret and the Israeli flag atop a blue sea. They received a tour of the first level of the submarine, though many details remained off-limits. Reports indicated that the Drakon, like other similar submarines, boasts advanced weapons, sonar detection, intelligence gathering, and other technological features for various missions.

The submarine features a control room, ballast tanks, a power source, navigation and sonar systems, life support, and living quarters. Israeli submarines reportedly possess nuclear missile launch capabilities as part of their nuclear triad. The Drakon's commander highlighted its extended length, enabling it to carry more weapons and operate for longer periods at sea.

The submarine commander, Cmdr. A, spent three years in Germany collaborating with German naval officers and defense engineers to tailor the ship to Israeli specifications. He mentioned the increasing need for the navy to operate in distant maritime areas like Iran and Yemen, with the Bab al-Mandab Strait being a particularly challenging route due to its narrow width.

Rear-Admiral Guy Levy emphasized that the Drakon's extended time at sea would allow for more missions in distant locations. He noted that later Dakar-class submarines would further increase the navy's operational capacity. The Israel Navy recently cautioned that Turkey currently has 14 submarines, with four more on the way, surpassing Israel's current submarine count.