Article Posted on : - May 06, 2011

The German-made Dolphin-class submarine.

JERUSALEM (BNS): Israel has decided to buy another Dolphin-class conventional submarine from Germany at a cost of $500 million to $700 million, which will bring the total number of such vessels in its Navy to six.

The country on Thursday finalised the deal to procure the additional diesel-electric submarine from Germany, news reports said.

Negotiations for the deal had been going on for some time but were halted last year over price issues.

Germany had held up the deal over underwriting the price tag of the submarines, estimated at $500 million to $700 million each.

The Israeli Navy presently operates three Dolphin class subs, also called the U212. The submarines are capable of carrying nuclear-tipped cruise missiles of an unidentified type with a range of 800 miles.

Two more such vessels, ordered in 2006, are presently being constructed by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) in Germany and are expected to be commissioned in 2012 and 2013.

The new submarines will be fitted with a new German technology in which the propulsion system combines a conventional diesel/lead-acid battery system and an air-independent propulsion system used for slow, silent cruising, with a fuel cell equipped with oxygen and hydrogen storage, The Jerusalem Post reported.

The latest purchase will strengthen Israeli Navy's capabilities to deter Iran, the reports said.