Israeli navy to receive two new German submarines - report
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Berlin, Nov 21, IRNA
Germany-Israel-Submarines
Israel's navy is to receive two new sophisticated German-made submarines, built at a German dockyard and partially financed by the German government, the weekly Focus news magazine reported Monday.
The latest decision by Germany's outgoing center-leftist government to sell the submarines to Israel has been coordinated with incoming German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Viewed as the world's most sophisticated military submarines, they are built by the German ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems.
Berlin had halted the export of both submarines after US news reports said that Israel had modified three of its German
'Dolphin'-class submarines to carry nuclear warheads.
Meanwhile the German government has refused Israel's request to cover the one-billion-euro price tag for the construction of the submarines.
However Germany has agreed to provide one-third of the construction costs from its household budget, estimated at around 330 million euros.
Germany built and donated the three 'Dolphin' submarines to Israel in 1999 and 2000.
Although Berlin is legally banned from exporting arms to crises regions, Germany has become one of Israel's major arms supplier.
German arms exports to Israel reached some 900 million dollars between 1998 and 2001.
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