The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) unveiled its most advanced submarine to date, the INS Drakon, during a ceremony held in Kiel, Germany, on Tuesday. This state-of-the-art vessel boasts cutting-edge weaponry, intelligence systems, and specialized capabilities for supporting commando missions.
The INS Drakon is the sixth and latest addition to Israel’s Dolphin 2-class submarine fleet. These submarines are believed to be capable of launching nuclear-tipped cruise missiles, providing Israel with a crucial “second-strike capability.”
The new Israeli submarine “INS Drakon” https://t.co/gfHfUTyB5e pic.twitter.com/Nj91Hvowcu
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Initially, the new submarine was set to be named “Dakar” after an Israeli submarine that tragically sank in 1968, but the decision was changed following objections from the families of the Dakar’s lost crew members. The name “Drakon” was chosen as a compromise, reflecting the letters of Dakar in Hebrew and symbolically honoring the original vessel’s memory.
The name “Dakar” will instead be used for a future class of submarines that Israel plans to introduce within the next decade.
