Israel is among the world powers planning to enhance their nuclear weapons capabilities over the next decade, according to a report published on Sunday in the British daily The Guardian. The report says that nuclear-capable countries, including Israel, are in the process of spending hundreds of billions of dollars on upgrading their stockpiles of nuclear arms. The Guardian cited a report compiled by the British American Security Information Council, made up of experts in the nuclear field, including former British defense minsters. The report warns that a dangerous "era of nuclear weapons" is on the horizon. The report says that the role of nuclear weapons in several countries, including Russia, Pakistan, Israel and France, goes well beyond deterrence. Get the Israel Hayom newsletter sent to your mailbox! According to the report, Israel is upgrading the range of its Jericho III ballistic missiles, which are capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The range of the Jericho III is being extended to 5,500 kilometers, placing it in the category of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. The report claims that Israel is also investing in expanding its fleet of submarines, which are reportedly armed with nuclear weapons. Israel is said to possess three German-manufactured Dolphin class submarines, and is expected to purchase an additional three in the near future, with two reportedly already under construction in Germany. The report does not address Iran's controversial nuclear weapons program. Meanwhile, according to a report on Monday in the German daily Der Spiegel, the German government is threatening to withhold a Dolphin-class submarine from Israel following a decision to construct new homes in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo, captured from Jordan during the 1967 Six-Day War. The Der Spiegel report claims that the German government approved 135 million euros ($189 million) in aid to Israel for the purchase of a sixth Dolphin submarine, an aid package that is now being contended in Germany.
