The class submarine Dolphin II, the "Rahav", after completing the tests in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, left the Thyssen-Krupp Marine Systems (TKMS) shipyard in Kiel, Germany and will enter service with the Israeli navy by January.
The new class submarines Dolphin II they are much more modern and the 28% larger than the Dolphin I. Israel already has the first submarine in service Dolphin II, the "Tanin", operating in Haifa with the Shayetet 7 ', an IDF flotilla composed exclusively of submarines.
The Dolphin, twice the size of the "Gal" class it replaces, is considered one of the most advanced in the world. The "Tanin" (crocodile) and the "Rahav" (Demon) were purchased by Germany in the 2012.
"Submarines provide a fundamental advantage in operations top-secret to infiltrate and filter elements of special departments. The submarine is an excellent espionage tool, but if a war broke out, it would become the main attack platform against the enemy who would never know his position. " They used these words from the Israeli army, in presenting the new class submarines two years ago Dolphin II.
It is common opinion that Israel, with the new class Dolphin II, has equipped itself with the best conventional submarines in the world. The sixth and last class submarine Dolphin should become operational in the 2019. It is known that all the Dolphin have the ability to take on nuclear warheads. In fact, the "Dolphin" class has given Israel "First strike" (preventive nuclear attack) and "Second strike" (nuclear response capability to a pre-emptive attack by the enemy).
Anywhere and at any time - have always stated by Israel in their typical style - there could be one of our submarines ready to fire.
I Dolphin II, at the explicit request of the Israeli government, were equipped with independent air propulsion or AIP. AIP systems allow the non-nuclear submarine to operate without the use of outside air. While for the reactor of a nuclear submarine cooling liquid must be continuously pumped, generating a certain amount of detectable noise, the non-nuclear battery-powered boats with AIP system, would sail in silence. A submarine powered by the AIP system could operate on patrol or deterrence missions for 30 / 40 days.
The United States, after some experiments, decided to continue with nuclear propulsion. Although some specifications are known, others are covered by military secrecy.
According to some reports, i Dolphin they would have ten torpedo tubes: six from 533 millimeters and four from 650 millimeters. A choice, the latter, which if confirmed would represent a unicum in the western panorama. Only the Soviet navy had equipped itself with heavy torpedoes that required 650 mm tubes. It is clear that those 650 mm tubes were designed to launch cruise missiles. We know that the Israelis developed the "Popeye Turbo" missile capable of hitting a target at 1600 km away with a nuclear warhead from 200 / 250 Kilotoni.
The concept of Israeli redundancy relies on two submarines in deterrent service to cover possible targets: one in the Red Sea and one in the Persian Gulf. A third is always in stand-by. Their declared operational depth is on the 200 meters at a maximum speed of 25 knots (only for i Dolphin II). Each Dolphin has a cost of 650 million. Berlin has fully covered the construction costs for the first two class submarines Dolphin I: the leader Dolphin and Leviathan. Germany also covered a third of the costs for three other submarines: the Tekumah and the new ones Dolphin II, Tannin (photo) and the Rahav. Finally, the sixth submarine will cost German taxpayers 135 million.
The Dolphin replaces the previous class Gal (consisting of three submarines), built in the 1970 at the Vickers shipyard, in Great Britain, based on the German projects '206'. To date only one "Gal" remains in the reserve. It will be demolished within the next two years as was the case for the entire class.
