Israel Matzav

Der Spiegel: Israel's Dolphin class submarines equipped with nuclear weapons

Germany's Der Spiegel is reporting that the Dolphin class submarines sold to Israel are equipped with nuclear weapons. The article is not yet available on the English side, and the German side has what appears to be a paywall, but Ronen Bregman has summarized it for YNet.

According to a Sunday report in Yedioth Ahronoth, the German-made U-boats – six of which have been purchased by the Israel Navy – will be equipped with Popeye missiles, which can carry nuclear warheads.

[Der Spiegel] said that its research into the matter, which spanned sources in the United States, Germany and Israel, "Leaves no room for doubt. This naval technology will enabled Israel to create a floating nuclear weapons cache in the Middle East."

Israel's Dolphin-class submarines are meant to give it second-strike capabilities in case of a major attack. According to the report, Berlin's defense officials were aware of the subs nature and future role, but chose to look the other way out of commitment to Israel's security and the understanding of Jerusalem's need to keep its security concerns clandestine.

The Israel Navy is already in possession of three Dolphin-class submarines. A fourth is on the verge of becoming operational; a fifth is under construction and is scheduled to arrive in Israel by 2018; and the contract for the sixth was recently signed between Israel and Germany.

Der Spiegel stressed that German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the advanced underwater vessels did not have nuclear capabilities; adding that this was the first time in the 20-year-long project that Berlin officials contradicted that premise.

Hmmm.

Labels: Dolphin class submarines, nuclear weapons

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:17 AM