Israeli Navy reportedly purchased flawed American sub periscopes due to US pressure
Financial assistance from the United States was the reported reason why the Israeli Navy was pressured to purchase flawed American-manufactured sub periscopes instead of more suitable German alternatives.
Israel’s submarine fleet currently consists of vessels manufactured by the German industrial engineering company, ThyssenKrupp. The German military tech company Hensoldt recently leaked the documents to the German daily paper, Der Spiegel.
The Jewish state receives over $3 billion in military assistance from Washington annually in an effort to maintain Israel’s military edge within the Middle East region. Approximately 75% of the amount is expected to be spent on U.S.-manufactured military platforms.
The leaked German documents included email correspondence between Harald Hansen, the former head of Hensoldt’s maritime division, and Sabine Hipp, who served as a special advisor to the company’s CEO.
Hansen reportedly admitted that a professional organization like the Israel Navy “is required to accept systems that don’t live up to its operational expectations.”
Israeli Navy officials, who were allegedly dissatisfied with the American periscopes, were said to have urged the German company to present its alternative offering to the Israeli Defense Ministry.
“The Israelis encouraged us to seek out a strategic partnership with an Israeli company,” Hansen revealed in correspondence with Hensoldt’s colleagues.
The Israel Navy is the smallest arm in the Jewish state’s defense forces. Existing for decades in shadows of the Israeli Air Force and ground forces, the navy has been dramatically upgraded in recent years to meet growing maritime challenges. Such challenges include the growing nuclear threat by Iran and its terrorist proxy Hezbollah against Israel’s offshore natural gas assets in the Mediterranean.
In late April, the Israel Navy announced that three of its four newly- acquired German-manufactured Sa’ar 6-class Corvettes were operational and ready to boost Israel’s naval defense capabilities.
"The mission of defending Israel's Exclusive Economic Zone and strategic assets at sea is the primary mission of the Israeli Navy," said Maj.-Gen. Eli Sharvit, chief of the Israeli Navy, at the time.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
