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Israel buys German nuclear-capable submarines
Israel purchased two German-made Dolphin submarines, called U212s, capable of carrying nuclear heads, the Associated Press reported.
8/25/2006 10:00:00 AM GMT
The new submarines, built at a cost of $1.3 billion with Germany paying one-third of the bill, have diesel-electric propulsion systems that allow them to remain underwater for longer periods of time than the three nuclear arms-capable submarines already in Israel’s fleet, the Jerusalem Post reported.
According to Jane’s Defense Weekly, the U212s can carry a crew of 35, have a range of 4,500 kilometers and can launch cruise missiles carrying nuclear warheads.
The German defense ministry said the sale agreement between Israel and the manufacturers, Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft AG, was signed on July 6, and that the subs would be operational shortly.
Military experts believe that Israel’s purchase of nuclear-capable submarines sends a clear message to Iran, which is facing growing international pressure over its nuclear program.
David Menashri, an Israeli expert on Iran, claimed that Tehran is clearly determined to obtain nuclear weapons and "the purchase of additional Dolphin submarines by Israel is a small footnote in this context."
Iran, which unlike Israel is a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), insists that its nuclear program is for the peaceful generation of electricity.
The latest submarines would allow Israel to carry out a first strike at the time it chooses and also provide it with crucial second-strike capabilities, said Paul Beaver, a London-based independent defense analyst.
Israel already have the that capability in the form of the Jericho-1 and Jericho-2 nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, which are buried so far underground they would survive a nuclear strike, he said.
The Dolphin submarine is also one of the best deterrents, Beaver said, adding that the technology on the subs makes them undetectable and gives them defensive capabilities in the event of an attack.
"They are very well-built, very well-prepared, lots of interesting equipment, one of the best conventional submarines available," Beaver said. "We are talking about a third string of deterrence capabilities."
Israel maintains a policy of ambiguity concerning its nuclear program, neither admitting nor denying that it does posses nuclear weapons. However, it’s believed to have the world’s sixth-largest stockpile of atomic arms, including hundreds of warheads.
Members of two opposition parties in Germany criticized the submarines’ sale, which which was concluded amid Israel’s deadly offensive in Lebanon, where more than 1,200 civilians died.
Winfried Nachtwei, national security spokesman for the Greens, said that the sale was wrong because Germany didn’t obtain any guarantees that the submarines would not be used to carry nuclear weapons.
"This red line should not be crossed," Nachtwei told the newspaper Taz.
"Otherwise it is a complete renunciation of Germany’s policy of non-proliferation,” he added.