(Foxtrot Alpha) Tyler Rogoway - Israel's new submarine, the INS Rehav, is crewed by 35 sailors, but can hold an additional 10 people for special operations. It can reach a top speed of 25 knots underwater and can operate without resupply for up to 30 days. It uses Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) to stay submerged for weeks at a time, and its fuel cell technology is extremely quiet. It is capable of operations that were long only possible with much more expensive nuclear-powered submarines. Its six standard torpedo tubes can fire torpedoes and Harpoon anti-ship missiles, while its four jumbo tubes can deploy frogmen, remotely operated vehicles and large cruise missiles capable of carrying nuclear payloads. Originally, Israel wanted to buy Tomahawk cruise missiles from the U.S. to outfit its submarine fleet, but the request was denied by the Clinton Administration. Instead, the Israelis developed their own long-range submarine-launched cruise missile particularly suited to their submarines.
2016-01-15 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive