In mid-November 2024, at a ceremony in Kiel, the name DRAKON was officially given to the last Israeli submarine. Although the event was confidential, a few pictures were leaked, one of which shows its sail and its first commander.

The DRAKON is the third DOLPHIN II class submarine, it is equipped with an AIP system and differs from the two previous vessels - TANIN and RAHAV - by the presence, in the aft area of the sail, of silos for the vertical launch of ballistic missiles and/or the release/recovery of underwater drones.

In fact, unlike the TANIN and RAHIV, which are 68.6 m long, the DRAKON has a length of 73 m, with the increase dictated precisely by the lengthening of the sail and the corresponding area inside the vessel. This capacity of the DRAKON can be associated with that guaranteed by the four 650 mm tubes with which it is equipped (in addition to the 533 mm tubes), since they can also be used for launching cruise missiles and/or the use of underwater drones, expanding the vessel's operational flexibility.

While no details are available on the possible ballistic missiles and sensors and weapon systems embarked on the DRAKON, it is known that it is currently engaged in sea trials and is expected to arrive in Israel during 2025. During the ceremony mentioned at the beginning, it was also announced that production of a new class of Israeli submarines, known as the DAKAR class, probably consisting of 3 units and built in the new ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems facilities in Kiel, will begin.

The 3 new DAKARs will also be equipped with an AIP system and will replace the same number of DOLPHIN I-class submarines - DOLPHIN, LEVIATHAN and TEKUMA - that entered service in the late 1990s. The construction of the new DAKARs will be partially financed by the German Government; the submarines will come on line at the beginning of the next decade and ballistic missile launch capabilities are also expected for them.

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