24 August 2006
International
Israel to buy submarines to counter Iran threat
- By AFP
Jerusalem, Aug. 23: In a bid to boost its military arsenal against a perceived threat from arch foe Iran, Israel has signed a contract with Germany to buy two submarines capable of carrying nuclear weapons, a newspaper report said on Wednesday.
Under the contract signed in July, the two Dolphin-class submarines, called U212s, will be assembled in Germany and fitted with a propulsion system allowing to remain underwater for far longer than submarines already in use by the Israel Navy, the Jerusalem Post said.
The state-of-the-art submarines, manufactured by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft AG, will be bought by Israel for $ 1.27 billion, which will be financed by the German government, the daily said. The submarine U212s are designed for a crew of 35, have a range of 4,500 km and can launch cruise missiles carrying nuclear warheads, the paper quoted the Jane's Defense Weekly as saying. But Israel's defence ministry was unable either to confirm or deny the report.