Defense Minister Ehud Barak was expected to leave for Germany on Tuesday for a series of meetings to finalize a deal to procure a sixth German-made submarine for Israels navy. About one-third of the cost of the submarine is expected to be subsidized by the German government, after Israel agreed to release Palestinian tax money it had frozen following the admission of Palestine into UNESCO in October. The navys submarine fleet, Flotilla 7, currently comprises three German-made Dolphin submarines, whose cost was also significantly subsidized by the German government. The Dolphins are considered to be the longest arm in the IDFs arsenal, capable of firing missiles at Iran. Two other submarines are currently being manufactured in Germany and are expected to arrive in Israel within the next two and a half years. Sources in Israel say the deal has implications for the countrys strategic and security considerations. According to foreign press reports, Israels submarines are armed with long-range cruise missiles, capable of carrying nuclear warheads. If Israel was to be attacked with nuclear weapons, these submarines would give Israel secondary response capabilities. The Dolphins can also be used to gather intelligence from distant places when great secrecy is required. They possess a variety of other operational capabilities as well. The defense minister was expected to return to Israel on Thursday after talks with his German counterparts, with whom he was also expected to discuss the Iranian nuclear weapons program and the security situation in the Middle East in general.
