The new submarine AHI Dragon departed Germany on its way to its home port - Haifa

(Haipo) – Israel's long arm is getting a boost: The new submarine, the "Dragon", the sixth submarine of the State of Israel, set off this week from Germany to Israel after a shipping ceremony held at the TKMS shipyard in Kiel, Germany. The Israeli flag was raised on the submarine, and upon its arrival in Israel, a state ceremony will be held at the Haifa base.

The shipping ceremony at the TKMS shipyard in Kiel

The shipping ceremony for the "Dragon" submarine took place this week, led by the Commander of the Naval Forces, Major General Eyal Harel, and attended by the Head of the Equipment Shipyard, Brigadier General Amir Chamani, Deputy Director General and Head of the Defense Procurement Administration at the Ministry of Defense, Ze'ev Landau, Israel's Ambassador to Germany, Ron Proshor, the Commander of the German Navy, Jean Christian, and representatives of the Naval Forces and the Ministry of Defense, along with representatives of the shipyard. As part of the ceremony, the joint planning and construction period of the submarine between the countries was finalized, in preparation for the start of its voyage to Israel. The submarine's departure to Israel was accompanied by a large-scale security operation, led by the Security Division of the Ministry of Defense and in cooperation with German security forces.

The most advanced submarine in the Israeli navy

The "Dragon" submarine is the third and final submarine in the Dolphin AIP submarine series, which the Ministry of Defense purchased for the Navy. The submarine incorporates cutting-edge and advanced technologies that place Israel at the forefront of global military technology and increase the operational flexibility of the Navy for many years to come. Deputy Director General and Head of the Naval Operations at the Ministry of Defense, Ze'ev Landau, described the submarine as "the most advanced and complex weapons system in the IDF" and as "a masterpiece of German industry, which was developed in close cooperation with the Navy."

Naval Forces Commander: "The submarine of the future begins its journey home"

The commander of the Naval Wing, Major General Eyal Harel, said at the ceremony that "long years of thought, planning, development, construction, innovation and work are becoming an operational reality." According to him, the "Dragon" submarine, along with the three Dakar-class submarines entering the Naval Wing, will be a central part of the future of the submarine fleet and will bring with them "more advanced capabilities, a wider range of operations, a longer stay on missions and significant operational power." Harel added that qualified fighters and commanders will serve inside the submarine, who "will operate secretly, in darkness and silence, far from home."

Strategic partnership between Israel and Germany

Israeli Ambassador to Germany, Ron Proshor, noted that "the delivery of the submarine is a testament to the depth of the strategic partnership that exists between Jerusalem and Berlin," and that the two countries stand together in the goal of finding joint solutions to strategic challenges. TKMS CEO Oliver Bockhardt said that with the launch of the Dragon submarine, a complex and challenging program was successfully completed, which was characterized over the years by trust, technological expertise, and shared responsibility. Landau emphasized that relations between Israel and Germany have developed into a strategic partnership based on shared values ​​and engineering and technological capabilities, and that the countries are holding extensive discussions on future joint projects.