Two German-made submarines capable of launching missiles with nuclear warheads were delivered to Israel, UPI reported. "We have received two Dolphin-class submarines built from Germany," an anonymous Israeli military spokesman was quoted as saying. The U212s were upgraded in Germany by Israeli technicians and engineers in order to enable them to carry nuclear warheads.
The submarines were ordered in 2005 and delivery had originally been scheduled for 2010. Israel now holds five state-of-the-art U212s, designed for a crew of 35 and capable of launching cruise missiles that carry nuclear warheads to a distance of 2,810 miles. The first two U212s were donated by Berlin to Israel after the 1991 Gulf War.