Navy’s sixth Dolphin 2-class submarine, Drakon, on its way to Israel

The Israeli Navy’s sixth submarine, INS “Drakon” — or Dragon — is now en route to Israel from Germany, the IDF and Defense Ministry announce.

A ceremony was held earlier this week at Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems’ shipyard in Kiel, Germany, to mark the sending off of the Dolphin 2-class submarine for Israel.

“An Israeli flag was raised aboard the submarine, officially marking the beginning of its voyage to Israel,” the statement says. Another ceremony will be held at the Haifa Naval Base upon its arrival.

The INS Drakon is to be equipped with “innovative and advanced technologies that place Israel at the forefront of global military technology and will enhance the Israeli Navy’s operational flexibility for years to come,” the military says.

The submarine’s originally proposed name was Dakar, after an Israeli submarine that sank in 1968. Dragon is meant to be a compromise after some of the families of the fallen sailors from the original Dakar protested the proposal to recycle the name.

“Dakar” will instead be reserved for the name of the overall class of the Navy’s future submarines, which are scheduled for delivery in the early 2030s.