thyssenkrupp Marine Systems has reached an agreement with the Israeli Ministry of Defence on the framework conditions for the purchase of three Dakar-class submarines. After extensive negotiations, all parties involved agreed to the technical content and contractual provisions on Thursday. The Dakar class will be of a completely new design, which is to be specifically engineered to fulfill the operational requirements of the Israeli Navy. The three submarines will replace the first batch of Dolphin-class submarines. In the last joint project with the Israeli Navy, the SA’AR-6 project, thyssenkrupp Marine Systems delivered four corvettes on time and within budget.
Dr. Rolf Wirtz, CEO thyssenkrupp Marine Systems: “We, as thyssenkrupp Marine Systems and Germans, are honored and proud to continue the long cooperation – spanning decades – with the Israeli Ministry of Defence and the Israeli Navy. The new class of submarines will provide Israel with the most advanced capabilities, based on innovative, cutting-edge technology. This agreement demonstrates the deep commitment of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems to guarantee Israel’s long-term security. It was signed after a thorough groundwork process, and I would like to thank our partners in the Ministry of Defence and the Israeli Navy for their commitment and professionalism.”
In this respect, the company is very much looking forward to working with the Israeli Ministry of Defence and the Israeli Navy again. Before the contract comes into effect, thyssenkrupp Marine Systems will have to hold intensive talks with its suppliers. In preparation for the expected order, thyssenkrupp had already agreed to investments of about 250 million euros for thyssenkrupp Marine Systems in 2019. Kiel is thus securing its location as an international center of competence for conventional submarine construction. The construction of a new shipbuilding hall and a fuel-cell production facility is already visible on the shipyard site.
The Dolphin 2 class are the largest submarines to have been built in Germany since World War II. The Dolphin-class boats are the most expensive single vehicles in the Israel Defense Forces. The Dolphin class replaced the aging Gal class, which had served in the Israeli navy since the late 1970s. Each Dolphin-class submarine is capable of carrying a combined total of up to 16 torpedoes and Popeye Turbo submarine-launched cruise missiles (SLCMs). The cruise missiles have a range of at least 1,500 km (930 mi) and are widely believed to be equipped with a 200 kiloton nuclear warhead containing up to 6 kilograms (13 lb) of plutonium. Israeli Navy’s new Dolphin 2 class submarine model to be named after INS Dakar.
