Dolphin-class submarine

*Dolphin*-class
	INS Rahav, a Dolphin-II submarine, seen here during its sea trials at Wilhelmshaven, Germany in July 2014.
Class overview
Builders	Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW)
Operators	Israeli Navy
Preceded by	Gal class
Succeeded by	Dakar class
Completed	Dolphin; Leviathan (trans. "Whale" or Leviathan); Tekumah (trans. "Revival"); Tanin (trans. "Crocodile" or Tannin); Rahav (trans. "Splendour" or Rahab);
Active	5 (another 1 fitting-out)
General characteristics
Type	Diesel-electric submarine
Displacement	Dolphin-I Class: 1,640 tons surfaced, 1,900 tons submerged; Dolphin-II Class: 2,050 tons surfaced, 2,400 tons submerged;
Length	57.3 m (188 ft) for Dolphin 1; 68.6 m (225 ft) for Dolphin 2;
Beam	6.8 m (22 ft)
Draught	6.2 m (20 ft)
Propulsion	Diesel-electric, 3 diesels, 1 shaft, 4,243 shp (3,164 kW); Dolphin 2 class: air-independent HDW Fuel Cell System
Speed	Dolphin 1 class: 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph); Dolphin 2 class: excess of 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph);
Test depth	At least 350 m (1,150 ft)
Complement	35 + 10 additional
Sensors and ; processing systems	STN Atlas ISUS 90-55 combat system
Armament	6 × 533 mm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes; 4 × 650 mm (26 in) diameter torpedo tubes;
Notes	The first three, non-AIP submarines of the class (Dolphin-I) are set to be replaced by the new Dakar-class submarines, beginning from 2027.

The Dolphin class (Hebrew: הצוללות מסדרת דולפין) is a diesel-electric submarine developed in Israel and constructed by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft AG (HDW) in Kiel, Germany, for the Israeli Navy. The first boats of the class were based on the export-only German 209-class submarines, but modified and enlarged. The Dolphin 1 sub-class is slightly larger than the German Navy Type 212 in length and displacement. The three newer air-independent propulsion (AIP) equipped boats are similar to the Type 212 vessels in underwater endurance, but are 12 metres (39 ft) longer, nearly 500 tonnes heavier in submerged displacement and have a larger crew than either the Type 212 or the Type 214.

The Dolphin 2 class submarines are the largest to have been built in Germany since World War II and the most expensive single vehicles in the Israel Defense Forces. The Dolphin class replaced the aging Gal class, which had served in the Israeli navy since the late 1970s. Each Dolphin-class submarine is capable of carrying a combined total of up to 16 torpedoes and Popeye Turbo submarine-launched cruise missiles (SLCMs). The cruise missiles have a range of at least 1,500 km (930 mi) and are widely believed to be equipped with a 200 kiloton nuclear warhead containing up to 6 kilograms (13 lb) of plutonium. The latter, if true, would provide Israel with an offshore nuclear second-strike capability.

The first batch of the class – the three Dolphin-I submarines – are set to be replaced by the newer Dakar-class submarines from 2031 onwards.

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