Tel Aviv: The Israel Ministry of Defense and thyssenkrupp Marine Systems have signed an agreement for the development and production of three advanced submarines for the Israeli Navy.
The negotiations took a long time because of the Israeli side and last year, thyssenkrupp has raised the price of the deal. Now Israel has to pay € 2.5 billion instead of € 1.2 billion that was part of the German initial proposal.
According to an official announcement by the Israeli ministry of defence, at the end of a several-year planning and negotiation process, the Israel Ministry of Defense, the German Ministry of Defense and thyssenkrupp Marine Systems agreed on the development and production of the future submarines of the Israeli Navy. The agreement was signed today (January 20) by the Director General of the Ministry of Defense, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Eshel, and Chairman of the executive board of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, Dr. Rolf Wirtz, at the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv.
The State of Israel will purchase three submarines from a new series called ‘Dakar’, in an agreement amounting to approximately € 3 billion. As detailed in the agreement, the first submarine will be delivered within nine (9) years. The agreement also includes the construction of a training simulator in Israel, and the supply of spare parts. The German government will fund part of the agreement through a unique grant, in accordance with an agreement signed between the countries in 2017.
The parties also signed an industrial strategic cooperation agreement that amounts to over € 850 million. Signed with the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, it details investment in Israeli industries, including defence companies. This will result in the opening of new markets, professional training, technological development, employment opportunities and a positive influx for both the Israeli economy and the defence establishment. This is a detailed agreement, with investment components that were agreed upon in advance.
The agreement was led by various departments in the Israel Ministry of Defense, in cooperation with the Israeli Navy, Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economy and Industry.
The three advanced Dolphin AIP class submarines that were purchased in the first deal (two delivered, one under construction) are advanced Dolphin 2 class vessels equipped with air-independent propulsion (AIP). The AIP enables the submarines total freedom from external air. That means that they can stay submerged for a longer time.
These submarines are 12 meters longer and with 500 tons more displacement than the Dolphin 1 Submarines. The submarine sonar and defence systems are advanced and improved relative to their predecessors. A significant portion of the systems installed on submarines are developed and manufactured in Israel. The number of submarine crew members in this series is also larger.
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
