WATCH: Israel's navy tests new long-range heavy torpedo
The new digital torpedo is set to become the submarine fleet's main missile.
By ANNA AHRONHEIMUpdated: JUNE 20, 2018 05:23The Dolphin-class submarine first entered service in 2000(photo credit: IDF SPOKESMAN’S UNIT)
The Israel Navy successfully completed a test of new torpedo system set to enter operational use on Israel’s submarine fleet, a senior Navy officer announced on Tuesday.The trial of the heavy torpedo, which was carried out on Monday night against targets simulating enemy ships, was the final test of a series of preplanned experiments to test the system’s competence.“The implementation of the system constitutes a significant step in the strengthening of the Navy and in maintaining the superiority of the IDF in the naval arena,” the senior officer said, adding that the systems have more accurate attack capabilities and can reach farther distances.According to the senior Navy officer, the new state-of-the-art long-range versatile heavy torpedo can reach targets dozens of kilometers away – both on land and underwater – and is set to become the submarine fleet’s main missile.Israel"s navy tests new long-range heavy torpedo set to enter operational use on Israel’s submarine fleet (IDF Spokesperson)The digitalization of the weapons system (as opposed to the older analog systems) will also allow the Navy to continuously upgrade its software.Israel is highly dependent on the sea with over 90% of the country’s imports arriving via the sea and while the its navy is relatively small compared to other IDF corps, it has a significant amount of territory to protect since the expansion of the country’s exclusive economic zone from a 64 km.shore several years ago to 241 km. shore today.While there is no hermetic protection on the sea, due to the threat posed by Hezbollah’s arsenal of Grad rockets and other longer-range projectiles, the navy has upgraded its weapons and defensive systems on its entire combat fleet.“The naval arena is becoming very complex and this new torpedo preserves Israel’s freedom of action and the secrecy of Israel’s submarines which are an indispensable strategic tool for state security ,” the senior officer said.Israel’s small but deadly submarine fleet has been very active in recent months, the first naval officer said, explaining that 60% of the hours that the fleet has been active were operational hours.
Israel currently has three Dolphin-class submarines and two Dolphin 2-class submarines with another one expected to be delivered later this year.According to Jane’s Defence Weekly, a magazine reporting on military and corporate affairs, the first batch of the three new submarines are expected to be operational in 2030.The new submarines being built by Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems are expected to replace the older Dolphins at a cost of combined price of NIS 5 billion ($1.3 billion).