Germany has agreed to sell two destroyers to the Israeli Navy at a cost of one billion euros ($1.3 billion). The new ships are a significant investment for the Israeli Navy, and will primarily be used to protect Israel's gas and oil pipelines in the Mediterranean.
The new destroyers are high-end MEKO Class F221 frigates with a full range of capabilities, equipped with 76MM guns, Surface to Air missiles, torpedoes, and Harpoon anti-ship missiles, so there's a good set of air defense, anti-ship, and anti-submarine weapons.
These would add punch to Israel's current Sa’ar 5 Corvettes, equipped with bow-mounted and towed sonars, 6x 324mm torpedo tubes for Mark 46 torpedoes, a Mk15 Phalanx 20mm gun and a Typhoon remotely-operated 7.62-30mm gun/missile systems, as well as the two upgraded Barak-8 missile launchers.
The Israelis also now have 5 of the 6 German-Built Dolphin-class nuclear-missile capable subs they purchased in their possession.
The Dolphins, with their 2700 mile cruising range can reach Iranian or Hezbollah targets easily.
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