Israel-Germany defense ties strengthen as new submarine sails for Haifa, Germany tests Israeli ballistic missile

Israel and Germany are deepening their strategic defense partnership through a growing portfolio of military cooperation, including submarines, ballistic missile systems and other advanced weapons technologies.

The latest developments came Tuesday as Israel’s sixth submarine, INS Drakon, reportedly set sail from the TKMS shipyard in Kiel, Germany, on its way to its new home port of Haifa, where a formal ceremony is scheduled to induct it into the Israeli Navy.

The Drakon is the third and final submarine in the Dolphin-class AIP series purchased by Israel and the most advanced model to date, incorporating newly developed technology and systems. It is also considered the most advanced warship in the Israeli arsenal.

Israeli Navy commander Vice Adm. Eyal Harel said the Drakon will operate alongside three planned submarines in the even more advanced Dakar class, helping ensure Israel’s maritime interests are secured for decades to come.

“They will bring more advanced capabilities, greater operational range, longer endurance on missions and significant operational power,” Harel said, adding that the ships and their crews would operate “covertly, in the dark and in silence, far from home,” as well as often being independent, cut off from the chain of command and being the only people in the whole world who knew what was going on in their immediate vicinity.

Zeev Landau, head of the Defense Ministry’s Procurement Directorate, who was among the officials at the Drakon’s launch ceremony in Kiel on Tuesday, called the submarine “the most advanced and complex weapons system in the IDF.”

Landau also said the vessel demonstrates the close strategic partnership between Israel and Germany and indicated that more joint projects are in the pipeline.

The growing defense relationship extends beyond submarines.

In a related development, the German Navy announced this week that it had successfully test-launched a sea-borne ballistic missile based on the Israeli-built Long-Range Artillery Weapon System, known by the acronym LORA. The successful test paves the way for negotiations between Germany’s Defense Ministry and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for large-scale procurement of the system for deployment on German warships.

“With the successful launch of a ballistic missile last night in the North Atlantic, we made naval history. I am extremely satisfied with this achievement,” says Vice Adm. Jan Christian Kaack, chief of the German Navy, in a post on Instagram.

He added that the LORA “can be successfully deployed from our units, and the potential range exceeds anything we have known before. For the protection of Germany and our allies, this test marks a new chapter in deterrence and defense readiness at sea.”

The LORA test was also hailed by Israeli defense officials as another milestone in the countries’ growing military cooperation:

“This is an unprecedented achievement for IAI and the Israeli Ministry of Defense,” said Boaz Levy, IAI’s Chairman. “This trial demonstrates Israel’s technological strength and the unique cooperation between Israel and Germany. It marks another significant achievement alongside the deployment of the Arrow 3 system on German soil, further strengthening Germany’s defense and deterrence capabilities and deepening the strategic partnership between our two countries.”

“Israel Aerospace Industries is proud to take part in strengthening the strategic cooperation between the State of Israel and the Government of Germany,” added Guy Bar Lev, IAI’s CEO.

“This significant milestone is underscored by the operational live-fire exercise (OPEX) of the LORA system, one of the world’s most advanced and combat-proven ballistic missile systems," he added.

According to IAI, the LORA system includes ballistic missiles with a range of 400 meters (about 1,310 feet) and accuracy to within 10 meters (131 feet).