TKMS lands three-sub order from Israel

The Israeli Ministry of Defence and thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) have agreed a deal in which the German company will build three Dakar-class submarines for Israel at its site in Kiel. The Dakar class is a new design tailored to meet Israeli requirements, and the submarines will replace the country’s earlier Dolphin-class units.

Anticipating the order, TKMS had already invested about EUR 250 million at the Kiel site which, the company claims, has secured its location as an international centre of competence for conventional submarine construction. A new shipbuilding hall and a fuel cell production facility are key elements of the investment. The company is now expected to hold intensive talks with its suppliers.

Dr Rolf Wirtz, thyssenkrupp Marine Systems CEO, commented: “The new class of submarine will provide Israel with the most advanced capabilities, based on an innovative, cutting-edge technology. This agreement demonstrates the deep commitment of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems to guarantee Israel’s long-term security.” He continued: “In the last joint project with the Israeli Navy, the SA’AR-6 project, we delivered four corvettes on time and within budget. In this respect, we are very much looking forward to working with our longstanding partner again.”