⚓ INS Drakon arrives as Navy plans fleet expansion: INS Drakon has arrived in Israeli waters, with the Navy set to formally receive its sixth submarine tomorrow at Haifa Naval Base. The Dolphin 2-class submarine completed a nearly month-long, 3,792-nautical-mile voyage from Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems’ shipyard in Kiel, Germany, following around 12 years of planning, construction and testing.
At 74 meters long and weighing 2,600 tons, Drakon is the largest and heaviest submarine Israel has received. Installing Israeli systems is expected to take two to three months, with operational status expected only months afterward.
Navy officials say delivery was delayed by several months because Denmark and Norway prevented German contractor TKMS from testing the submarine in their deep waters. The contractor instead conducted the tests farther out in the North Sea, in international waters.
The Navy plans to multiply the size of its fleet in response to a regional maritime arms race and new threats at sea. Its assessment found that other Mediterranean countries, including allies and countries with strained ties with Israel, operate significantly larger navies.
The military also sees a need for stronger naval capabilities following Iranian and Houthi restrictions on freedom of navigation around the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, which have harmed major shipping routes in the Gulf and Red Sea. Navy officials fear similar disruption could occur in the Mediterranean.
The first of five Reshef-class corvettes is expected within three to four years. These will replace the two oldest models of Israel’s Sa’ar 4.5-class missile boats, due to retire after four decades, while increasing the fleet’s overall number of small missile boats.
❌ IDF locates tunnel crossing Gaza’s Yellow Line: Israeli combat engineers located a 600-meter-long tunnel in central Gaza today, the military said. According to the IDF, the passage runs from the Israeli side of the "Yellow Line" into the Hamas-held part of the Strip.
🛡️ Reserve brigade completes Syria security-zone mission: The IDF said its 228th Brigade, operating under the 210th Division, completed a three-month mission in the security zone in Syria to remove threats to Israel.
During targeted operations, soldiers questioned dozens of suspects, apprehended several operatives, dismantled terrorist infrastructure and located dozens of weapons, including RPG rockets, mortar shells and Kalashnikov rifles.
The brigade has completed its fifth reserve deployment and will be replaced by the 2nd Brigade. The IDF said the 210th Division will continue operating in the area to ensure the security of Israeli civilians, particularly Golan Heights residents.
🛡️ U.S. ammunition delivery to Lebanon: The U.S. Embassy in Beirut announced that Washington has delivered 16 million rounds of ammunition to the Lebanese Army.
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