Shayetet 7

The service in the submarine fleet is difficult, challenging and often far from the country's borders, so the submarine crews have to be very cohesive. Another derivative of the great distance from the country's borders is that the submarine crew is operationally competent and ready for war at any time.{{Cite web|url=https://navy.idf.il/Article/1479|title=שייטת 7 {{!}}אתר|website=navy.idf.il|accessdate=2023-09-21}}

Every operational mission of the submarine has a military doctor and a medic on board who have undergone special training to treat the wounded, including dealing with a multi-casualty incidents, deep under the surface of the water. In the absence of an emergency, the doctor who joins any operational mission also carries an intelligence role for everything, in which he is engaged throughout the mission as one of the combatants.{{Cite news|url=https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5351940,00.html|title=כשלוחם נפגע בצוללת: לחלץ או להמשיך במשימה?|website=Ynet|language=he|accessdate=4 July 2024}}

The unit's objectives include

• Attacking enemy vessels
• Covert intelligence gathering
• Deployment and recovery of Shayetet 13 naval commandos
• Acting as a support unit for other units
• Believed to be part of the country's nuclear weapons capability.{{cite web|url= http://www.janes.com/news/defence/jdw/jdw091001_1_n.shtml |title= Israel seeks sixth Dolphin in light of Iranian 'threat' |publisher=Jane’s |date=1 October 2009 |access-date= 1 June 2010}}

INS Livyathan, {{IPA|he|livjaˈtan|}} (Whale)

INS Tekumah, {{IPA|he|tkuˈma|}} (Revival)

|1999

1999

2000

|{{GER}}

|

Expected to be replaced with the Dakar-class submarines starting in the early 2030s

|-

|AIP Dolphin 2 class

|250x250px

|{{INS|Tanin|2012|6}}, {{IPA|he|taˈnin|}} (Crocodile)

{{INS|Rahav|2013|6}}, {{IPA|he|ˈʁahav|}} (Rahab)

INS Drakon, {{IPA|he|dʁaˈko̞n|}} (Dragon)

|2012

2014

2023?

|{{GER}}

|

|}

File:Isnavsht7.jpg

Two used S-class submarines were purchased from the Royal Navy . These submarines were built in World War II, and refurbished in England for the Israeli Navy. An Israeli team that went through a training period in France and the United Kingdom under British supervision was the crew for the first submarine. The flotilla was established on December 16, 1959, when INS Tanin (C-71) entered the port of Haifa.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/hrt/1959/12/17/01/article/6?&dliv=none&e=-------he-20--1--img-txIN%7ctxTI--------------1&utm_source=he.wikipedia.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=%22%D7%90%D7%97%22%D7%99+%D7%AA%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%9F+%28%D7%A6-71%29%22&utm_content=itonut|title=חרות⁩, 17 דצמבר 1959⁩ — החללה תניד 1_הל31לה בחיפה _דחקח [⁨כתבה⁩]|date=17 December 1959|language=he|accessdate=4 July 2024}} The second submarine, INS Rahav (C-73), arrived at the shores of Israel in July 1960.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dav/1960/06/16/01/article/3?&dliv=none&e=-------he-20--1--img-txIN%7ctxTI--------------1&utm_source=he.wikipedia.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=%22%D7%90%D7%97%22%D7%99+%D7%A8%D7%94%D7%91+%28%D7%A6-73%29%22&utm_content=itonut|title=דבר⁩, 16 יוני 1960⁩ — "רהב‭'‬ הגיעה לחיפה [⁨כתבה⁩]|language=he|date=16 July 1960|accessdate=4 July 2024}}

During the Six Day War, the flotilla participated in the Operation Alexandria in which Tanin led six fighters from Shayetet 13 into action in the port of Alexandria . While waiting to collect the divers, the submarine was attacked by an Egyptian vessel and damaged. The next day she returned to the meeting place to collect but the divers had already been captured by the Egyptians.{{Cite web|url=http://moreshetyamit.net/%d7%a7%d7%a8%d7%91%d7%95%d7%aa-%d7%95%d7%94%d7%a4%d7%9c%d7%92%d7%95%d7%aa/%d7%90%d7%9c%d7%9e-%d7%a4%d7%a1%d7%97-%d7%9e%d7%9c%d7%95%d7%91%d7%a0%d7%99-%d7%94%d7%99%d7%91%d7%98-%d7%9e%d7%a6%d7%a8%d7%99-%d7%a2%d7%9c-%d7%a4%d7%a2%d7%95%d7%9c%d7%aa-%d7%90%d7%9c%d7%9b%d7%a1/|title=אל"מ פסח מלובני – היבט מצרי על פעולת אלכסנדריה במלחמת ששת הימים|website=moreshetyamit|accessdate=4 July 2024|language=he}}{{Cite book|author=Slomo Arel|title =Before the sea|page=269}} Multiple civilian ships were destroyed in this operation.

In 1965, Israel purchased three T-class submarines from the Royal Navy: Leviathan,https://yehida.co.il/?option=com_content&view=article&id=29&Itemid=14%2F Decker, and Dolphin.{{Cite web|url=https://yehida.co.il/?option=com_content&view=article&id=29&Itemid=14%2F|title=מתגייסים ליחידה|language=he|accessdate=4 July 2024}} The T-class submarines were larger and more sophisticated than the S-class submarines, but they were also outdated submarines from the World War II period that had undergone a process of upgrade and renovation. The submarines arrived after the Six Day War.

A submarine of the flotilla, INS Dakkar, sunk on January 25, 1968, on its way from Britain to Israel and all 69 members of its crew perished. The remains of the submarine and the place where it sank were only discovered in 1999.{{Cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054132/http://go.ynet.co.il/pic/news/tal123.pdf|title=Report of the Tal committee on the sinking of the Dakar Report of an investigative committee headed by Major General Israel Tal and its members Col. Moshe Gedron and Lt. Col. Alexander Shor. The report was delivered to the Chief of the General Staff, Major General Yitzhak Rabin , |date=March 1968|accessdate=4 July 2024}}{{Cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303174028/http://go.ynet.co.il/pic/news/arel123.pdf|title=The report on the loss of Achi Dekar issued by the commander of the navy, Colonel Shlomo Aral, to the Chief of the General Staff|date=March 1, 1968|accessdate=4 July 2024}}

The flotilla did not take part in the Yom Kippur War due to maintenance issues.

The {{sclass|Gal|submarine}}s entered the service in the flotilla in the late 1970s, these small but agile and sophisticated submarines were continuously upgraded with newer systems to maintain their technological edge. They were somewhat unusual in that all boats of the class were at equipped with six-tube retractable Blowpipe surface-to-air missile launchers controlled from inside the boat, though these were later removed.{{Cite web|url=http://www.whq-forum.de/cms/39.0.html|title=WaffenHQ: Blowpipe|website=www.whq-forum.de|access-date=2016-07-16|archive-date=23 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220723164825/http://www.whq-forum.de/cms/39.0.html|url-status=dead}}

The flotilla participated in the 1982 Lebanon War and carried out Operation Dreyfus which was a military operation to locate and identify enemy ships using submarines . In June 1982, during the operation, an Israeli Navy submarine hit a civilian ship carrying refugees, due to the suspicion that they were terrorists. 25 people were killed in the incident.{{Cite news|url=https://m.maariv.co.il/journalists/Article-672885|title=הדבר הנכון בנוגע ל"מבצע דרייפוס" הוא להודות באחריות ולשלם פיצויים|website=Maariv|accessdate=4 July 2024}}

Starting from 1999, the {{sclass|Dolphin|submarine|1}}s have continued to serve the Israeli Navy as a part of the flotilla and are expected to continue their service till 2030.{{cn|date=July 2024}}

In November–December 2011 two Israeli air raids against Gaza-bound weapon smugglers in Sudan were accompanied by Israeli submarine activity off the Sudanese coast.{{cite news |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/reports-in-sudan-israel-struck-two-weapons-convoys-in-past-month-1.403521 |newspaper=Haaretz |title=Reports in Sudan: Israel struck two weapons convoys in past month |last1=Issacharoff |first1=Avi |last2=Harel |first2=Amos |date=25 December 2011 |access-date=25 December 2014}}{{cite news |url=http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=250872 |title=Sudanese media report on Israeli air strikes |first1=Joanna |last1=Paraszczuk |first2=Yaakov |last2=Katz |newspaper=The Jerusalem Post |date=25 December 2011 |access-date=25 December 2014}}

On July 5, 2013, during the Syrian civil war, an Israeli missile strike against the Syrian port of Latakia was made in coordination with the United States, with long-range missiles launched from a Dolphin-class submarine. The attack targeted newly unloaded Russian-made Yakhont long-range high-performance anti-ship missiles and associated radars.{{Cite web |url=http://www.debka.com/article/23116/ |title=US to media: Israel struck Latakia arsenal last week. Will Putin and Assad make good on threats of reprisal? |access-date=2013-07-14 |archive-date=2013-07-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130716081504/http://debka.com/article/23116/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite news|url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/169888 |title=Report: Israel Struck in Syria from the Sea |work=Israelnationalnews.com |last=Benari |first=Elad |date=14 July 2013 |access-date=25 December 2014}}{{Cite news |url=http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Report-Israeli-submarine-strike-hit-Syrian-arms-depot-319756 |title=Report: Israeli submarine strike hit Syrian arms depot |newspaper=The Jerusalem Post |date=17 April 2013 |access-date=25 December 2014}}

File:Shayetet7Commanders.jpg

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.submarines.dotan.net/ אתר שייטת הצוללות] An unofficial website of the history of submarines in Israel.
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20160304233241/http://yehida.co.il/index.php?id=29&itemid=14%2F&option=com_content&view=article אגף שייטת הצוללות] On the unit website - the IDF units website.
• Shamuel Tankos, [https://2020-uploaded.fresh.co.il/2020/10/10/54605961.pdf עם רכישת הצוללות], "Marine Systems" 39-N, March 1959, pp. 4–5.
• Shmuel Tankos, [https://2020-uploaded.fresh.co.il/2020/11/26/34466035.pdf פקודת יום לבוא אחי תנין, תפילת הדרך לצוות הצוללת, מעמקי התנין], "Marine Systems" MD, December 1959 p. 3.
• Zev Schiff, [https://2020-uploaded.fresh.co.il/2020/10/24/15740841.pdf מדוע כדאי לשרת בצוללת], "Marine Systems" NA, January 1961, p. 10.
• Yosef Dror, [https://2020-uploaded.fresh.co.il/2020/11/27/38827835.pdf דבר מפקד שייטת הצוללות], "Marine Systems" n.d., July 1961, p. 3.
• Uri Dan, [https://2020-uploaded.fresh.co.il/2020/11/27/38827835.pdf עם תנין ורהב במצולות], "Marine Systems" n.d., July 1961, p. 4.
• Yohai ben Nun, [https://2020-uploaded.fresh.co.il/2020/08/03/36385162.pdf בהנפת נס שירות פעיל על אח"י תנין], 'Marine Systems' 61, September 1962, p. 2.
• Yosef Dror, [https://2020-uploaded.fresh.co.il/2020/08/03/36385162.pdf מפקד השייטת לאנשיו], 'Marine Systems' 61, September 1962 p. 2.
• Yosef Dror, [https://2020-uploaded.fresh.co.il/2020/08/05/71166878.pdf מפקד צוללת לאנשיו], 'Marine Systems' 63, March 1963 p. 2.
• Eli Shaf [https://2020-uploaded.fresh.co.il/2020/12/10/35212228.pdf הצוללות שבדרך], 'Marine Systems' 76, February 1966, p. 16
• That. Yosef, [https://2020-uploaded.fresh.co.il/2020/11/04/87262378.pdf הצוללות - חלום שנתגשם]. 'Marine Systems' 111 March 1973, p. 12.
• Shlomo Man, [https://beingalim.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/1981-1-beingalim.pdf על ההרגשה האישית והחיים בצוללת המפליגה מתחת לפני המים], 'Between Waves' January 1981 p. 31.
• Remy Antian, [https://beingalim.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/1981-6-beingalim.pdf בצוללת כאן הטבח הוא המפקד], 'Between Waves' June 1981 p. 10.
• Shlomo Man, [https://beingalim.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/1983-3-beingalim.pdf הדור אשר לא ידע את דקר], 'Between Waves' March 159, 1983, p. 6.
• Aryeh Kiesel, [https://beingalim.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/1984-7-bingalim-162.pdf זה לא לאנשים נורמלים צוללת], 'Between Waves' 162 July 1984 p. 16.
• Naama Toren, [https://beingalim.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/1985-11-beingalim-166.pdf רק גמרו את הקורס נקלטים בשייטת הצוללות], 'Between Waves' 166 November 1985, p. 12.
• [https://beingalim.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/1990-8-bg-181.pdf מנהגים ומסורת בשייטת הצוללות], "Between Waves" 181 August 1990, p. 51.
• Dror Gat, [https://beingalim.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/2009-5-bg.pdf שייטת 7 בעידן החדש], "Between Waves", May 2009, p. 4.
• Raz Sharga, [https://beingalim.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/2009-12-bg.pdf יובל להגעת אח"י תנין לישראל], "Between Waves", December 2009, p. 13
• Jordan Gore, [https://beingalim.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/2014-5-bg.pdf שייטת הצוללות חוגגת 55 שנה ומתכוננת לאח"י תנין], 'Between Waves' May 2014, p. 28.
• Brith Almog, [https://beingalim.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/2016-10-bg.pdf החלפת פיקוד בשייטת הצוללות - מדורון לאסף באוגוסט 2016 וגם נס שירות פעיל לאח"י רהב], "Between Waves", October 2016, p. 14.
• Gadi Yampel and Avital Rahavit, [https://beingalim.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/2016-10-bg.pdf חשיפה תת-מימית - צוללות בחופי לבנון], "Between Waves", October 2016, p. 43.
• Oral Elhadad and Brit Almog [https://beingalim.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/2017-5-bg.pdf טקס פרס הרמטכ"ל לשנת 2016 וגם סונאר חדש בצוללות חיל הים], "Between Waves", May 2017, pp. 9–10.
• Hi. Sutton, [http://www.hisutton.com/History%20of%20Israeli%20Subs.html היסטוריה של הצוללות הישראליות] On the Historian website May 20, 2017.
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxoVWRw6dqM&t=3605s שייטת הצוללות] Lecture at Alfredo Forum September 2018.
• Adir Yizrif, [https://haipo.co.il/item/139897 טקס החלפת פיקוד שייטת הצוללות], the 'Hai Fe' website, July 19, 2019.
• Yitzhak Noy, [https://omny.fm/shows/global-shabat/17-4-2021?in_playlist=global-shabat!podcast על שייטת הצוללת בתוכנית שבת עולמית], Broadcast interviews with Hadar Kimchi, Shaul Horev and David Rotenberg, April 17, 2021.
• Amnon Gonen and others, [https://moreshetyamit2.files.wordpress.com/2021/10/palga914.pdf הדבורים של שייטת הצוללות], October 2021
• [https://www.kan.org.il/Podcast/item.aspx?pid=22001 שייטת 7 - סיפורו של צי הצוללות בחיל הים], in the framework of a global discussion with Yitzhak Noy, Israel Broadcasting Corporation, April 17, 2021
• Dan Arkin, [https://www.israeldefense.co.il/node/59154 הצוללת אח"י דרקון צולמה במספנה בקיל שבגרמניה, אמורה להגיע לחיל הים עוד השנה], Israel Defense, August 6, 2023.
• Ronit Zilberstein, [https://www.israelhayom.co.il/military-life/world-news-military-life/article/14507358 מים שקטים חודרים עמוק: הצטרפנו למסע המסכם של חניכי שייטת 7], Israel today, August 17, 2023.
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwVjUmICjjQ תיעוד בלעדי: לוחמי הצוללות בפעילות מבצעית במרחב הצפון], October 14, 2023.
• Yosef Dror, 'Alligator team training in Britain, Marine Systems 48, March 1990, p. 8.
• Rafiki, [https://beingalim.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/1974-9-bg.pdf חתונה בצוללת - יום שייטת הצוללות], Bin Galim, September 1974, p. 22.
• Mike Elder, "'Decker and the story of the submarine fleet'", Aryeh Nir Publishing, 1997.
• Moshe Imber and Simcha Binot, "Red and clear - the story of the submarine fleet", design and production Eltan Takshor

Category:Israeli Navy

Sea corps