Israel Navy submarine seen crossing Suez on Sunday
An IDF Dolphin class submarine was seen crossing the Suez canal back into the Mediterranean on Sunday two days after it was reported that one of the submarines had crossed the canal into the Red Sea and headed for Eilat. An IDF Navy Dolphin-class submarine that participated in maneuvers off the Eilat coast last week returned to Israel via the Suez Canal on Sunday according to witnesses' reports.Am I the only one thinking this is all too neat and tidy? I mean, they disclose it on Friday, they claim it happened a month ago, and on Sunday it just so happens that the submarine appears at the Suez Canal.
The submarine was spotted returning through the waterway along with an Israeli missile boat.
However, an Israeli defense official told Reuters there would be no permanent deployment in Eilat of the German-made submarines, of which the Navy has three, with two more on order.
"If anything, we are scaling down our naval operations in Eilat," the official was quoted as saying on Sunday.
A senior naval source explained that the "submarines need the open water, and that's just not available at Eilat."
"Also, the navy cannot take on the logistical burden of setting up two bases, with all the specialized needs in terms of equipment, maintenance crews and security safeguards, for a submarine fleet that, at most, will comprise five Dolphins," he told the news agency.
What if they had sent two submarines through and left one in the Indian Ocean so that it could get to Iran faster? Hmmm. Anyone know how long a Dolphin can stay underwater without surfacing?
Here's a Dolphin in action. Let's go to the videotape.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:01 PM
2 Comments:
30 days according to http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/dolphin/
A nuclear submarine can remain submerged indefinitely. A diesel submarine has to be resupplied from time to time. I'm betting that if Israel does decide to strike Iran, it can launch an EMP missile from anywhere in the Red Sea to the Arabian Sea. Unlike airplanes, missiles are almost impossible to stop. Only one has to get through.
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