202408 15 - Israel Submarine Capabilities

Based at Haifa, the Israeli Navy (IN) operates five modern diesel-electric Dolphin-class submarines. All were designed and constructed by Germany’s Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW).

Israel first acquired two British S-class submarines in the late 1950s. Israel utilized these submarines in its wars with Lebanon from 1967 to the 1980s, but the vessels were noisy and barely fit in the Mediterranean Sea. After the S-class, the Israeli Navy depended upon three Gal-class submarines, designed by Germany for Israel, and constructed at the Vickers Shipyard in the United Kingdom between 1973 and 1977. The Gal-class vessels were a modified Type 206A coastal submarine. Read more.