“According to several sources vetted by DID, “on July 5/13, the Syrian port city of Latakia experienced major explosions at an arms depot. Israel hasn’t taken responsibility for the attack, but many sources attribute it to them. Initial reports suggested that the Israeli air force flew from bases in Turkey to launch the strike, flying over the Mediterranean and staying out of Syrian air space. Now, reports have surfaced that the strike was launched from a Dolphin Class submarine offshore. ”
The Dolphin is a greatly modified class of six Type 209 submarines made by the Germans for the Israeli Defence Forces. The first two, built in the late 90s were donated, and the rest built slowly with the last, a currently unnamed unit, slated for delivery in 2014.
Isnt it cute
These 200-foot 1800-ton boats are smaller than the fleet boats of WWII, but can make patrols of up to 50-days at sea, covering as many as 10,000 nautical miles. They are armed with 6 × 533 mm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes for a payload of up to 16 US Mk48 and German Atlas Elektronik DM2A3 fish or sublaunched Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and 4 × 650 mm (26 in) torpedo tubes for launching swimmer vehicles and mines.
Their names are very interesting and resemble those typically chosen by Tsarist Russian subs.
Dolphin
Leviathan (trans. “Whale”)
Tekumah (trans. “Revival”)
Tannin (trans. “Crocodile”)
Rahav (trans. “Demon”}
While the Germans only sent the boats capable of firing 533mm torpedoes, the Israelis about ten years ago converted them to fire the Popeye Turbo SLCM – A suspected stretched version of their locally designed Popeye Turbo air to surface missile, for use as a submarine-launched cruise missile (SLCM). It was widely reported in a US Navy observed 2002 test in the Indian Ocean to have hit a target at 1500 km, it can allegedly carry a 200-300 kg conventional or nuclear warhead.
It is suspected that the stretched Popeye Turbo is the primary strategic second strike nuclear deterrent weapon which can be fired from the 650mm secondary torpedo tubes of the Israeli Dolphin class submarines. It is believed that the SLCM version of the Popeye was developed by Israel after the US Clinton administration refused an Israeli request in 2000 to purchase Tomahawk long-range SLCM’s because of international MTCR proliferation rules.
The Israelis, however, are mum on dolphins, popeyes, and other such things….
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