The Defense Ministry and Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems have signed an agreement for the development and production of three advanced submarines for the Israeli Navy, the Defense Ministry announced on Thursday.
The price of the three Dakar-class diesel-electric submarines will cost more than double the original cost for a total of an estimated €3b. The German government will fund one-third of the cost in accordance with an agreement signed between the countries in 2017.
The Israel Navy announced in 2018 that the new submarines would be called “Dakar” in honor of the submarine that mysteriously disappeared as it sailed from the United Kingdom to Israel in 1968 with 69 crew members on board.
The agreement was signed by the director-general of the Defense Ministry, Maj.-Gen. (Res.) Amir Eshel, and Chairman of the executive board of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, Dr. Rolf Wirtz, at the Defense Ministry offices in Tel Aviv.
The first submarine will be delivered within 9 years. The agreement also includes the construction of a training simulator in Israel as well as the supply of spare parts.
Read more: jpost
