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Since August 1, 2023 Oleg7700 from Israel has kindly provided links and details on the first sightings of INS Drakon aka Dragon at the TKMS shipyard in Kiel, Germany.
Drakon is the third submarine of the Dolphin 2 class. Drakon is very different from the preceding two Dolphin 2s in having a curiously extended fin/sail.
The purpose of the fin/sail might merely be for streamlining/quietness, or to contain more masts/sensors or perhaps to house between 2 to 4 vertically launched missiles.
I would estimate Drakon's fin/sail height as being about 6 meters tall. When added to Drakon's beam of 7 meters, that would permit a missile 12.5 meters tall.
Such a missile might be an enlarged version of Israel's existing Popeye Turbo nuclear tipped supersonic cruise missiles or perhaps a submarine launched version (SLBM) of Israel's Jericho family of ground launched ballistic missiles. Alternatively India is known to joint develop and test missiles with Israel, so an Israeli version of India's existing K-4 SLBM/IRBM might also be possible.
The ability of Popeye Turbo SLCMs, from eastern Mediterranean launch points, to hit Tehran has been a technical and strategic reality for over a decade.
The value of an Israeli K-4 SLBM, with a range of 4,000 km, might include the ability to hit any city in "Islamic nuclear bomb" owning Pakistan. Saudi Arabia reportedly helped fund Pakistan's nuclear program. In turn Pakistan reportedly has a deal with Saudi Arabiato transfer Pakistani nuclear waheads to Saudi Arabia's long range ballistic missile bases at Al Sulayyil and Al-Watah. Such a transfer might be in a buildup to a Saudi war with Israel. Israel's "counter-deal" against Pakistan may be "Pakistan might be at risk of Israeli nuclear warhead impacts if Pakistan is too helpful in supplying nuclear warheads to the Saudis or in a nuclear exchange between Israel and Saudi Arabia". India, Pakistan's nuclear nemesis, might also see value in Israel being an additional country that could threaten Pakistan.
Eighteen months ago Oleg7700 also located this possible artwork (below) of Israel's future Dakar-class Dolphin 3s to enter service around 2031. The artwork first appeared in Germany's "Kieler" nachrichten news. Comparing the above photos with the artwork below clearly shows the extended fin/sail characteristic. The artwork below also implies the Dakars will incorporate the "Diamond Hull" low sonar reflection technology that TKMS is introducing into its future Type 212CD submarines from around 2029.
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