Israel Takes Command of 4th Dolphin Class Sub

JERUSALEM, May 3 (Xinhua) -- With a ceremonial smashing of a champagne bottle against the hull, Israel on Thursday took the helm of its fourth submarine at a German shipyard.

The Israeli Navy and Defense Ministry officially received the INS Tanin at the Kiel shipyard in Hamburg, and will commence sea trials until the sub goes into service in 2013.

While Israel maintains an official policy known as "nuclear ambiguity," according to which the Jewish state will not be the first or last nation to introduce nuclear weapons in the Middle East, its submarines are designated as a deterrence weapon that affords a second strike capability.

"The submarine will be another force multiplier in terms of the capabilities and strength of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the State of Israel in the face of the growing regional challenges, " said Defense Minister Ehud Barak, according to a ministry statement sent to Xinhua.

"The Navy has been undergoing a number of strategic changes in recent years; changes that place it as the long arm of the IDF, at the very forefront of the campaign to secure the State of Israel. This deal is an expression of the depth of the relationship with Germany, reflecting the ongoing commitment of the government of Germany to Israel's security," Barak said.

The submarine is the most expensive tool in Israel's military arsenal, according to the ministry.

"The Navy and its fleet of submarines, along with other arms of the IDF, make up an arm of deterrence -- a defensive and "fighting " arm -- on a strategic level both for the IDF and the State of Israel," Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz said.

Israel currently deploys three diesel-powered Dolphin-class submarines, which entered service in the early 1990s and are reportedly capable of launching nuclear warhead-tipped cruise missiles. The subs were also built by Germany's leading shipbuilder Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW).

Israel purchased the Dolphin class submarine at 530 million U.S. dollars, while Germany announced that it will subsidize one-third of the total price.