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Submarines in the Middle East

(Israel Hayom) Dr. Shaul Shay - A new Dolphin-class submarine was presented to Egypt in a festive ceremony last week at the ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) shipyard in Germany. Egypt signed a deal to obtain two new submarines from Germany in 2011, and in 2014, another deal was signed for the purchase of two more submarines. Egypt has eight old Romeo-class submarines made in the Soviet Union and in China, four of which were upgraded in the 1990s. Egypt has been investing billions of dollars in recent years in acquiring advanced weapons, and, according to German media reports, the first two submarines it purchased cost hundreds of millions of euros. Egypt sees itself as a regional power and is building up its military capabilities in keeping with that view. The submarine fleet is perceived as a strategic component in military capability and as a response to the parallel capabilities of other countries, including Israel, Turkey and Iran. Turkey, too, has a significant submarine fleet, much of which was acquired from TKMS. Israel's unique geostrategic characteristics - the shipping routes vital to its economic survival, the gas reserves and the lack of strategic depth - demand the investment of resources into the naval arena in order to protect the country's essential interests. In light of the chaotic reality that characterizes the Middle East, and in light of the strategic threat developing in Iran, Israel must build up the necessary capabilities to safeguard its security. Col. (res.) Dr. Shaul Shay, a lecturer at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, was the deputy head of the National Security Council of Israel.
2016-12-23 00:00:00
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