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NewsTranscript
00:00The Mediterranean Sea. Since ancient times, it's been one of the most strategically important bodies of water on the planet,
00:07directly connecting Asia, Africa and Europe.
00:10The name says it all. It translates from the Latin as the sea in the middle of the Earth.
00:16Naval control of the Mediterranean has always been essential for ensuring security and projecting power in this crucial region, particularly
00:24in the sea's three major choke points.
00:26The Strait of Gibraltar at its western end, the Suez Canal and the Turkish Straits in the east.
00:32Control over these narrow passages allows nations to project power, secure their own shipping and potentially disrupt adversaries' logistics.
00:42With tensions rising globally and the interconnected web of global trade under increasing threat, control over the Mediterranean has never
00:50been as strategically important.
00:52Submarines provide a unique advantage in this environment, conducting covert surveillance, monitoring naval movement, gathering critical intelligence in contested areas
01:02and serving as a powerful deterrent.
01:05As a result, the battle for supremacy under the waves in the Mediterranean is heating up.
01:10So, let's take a closer look at the different submarine forces operational in the sea, how they stack up, and
01:17how they affect the balance of the power in the region, today and in the future.
01:22There are 21 sovereign nations with Mediterranean coastlines, along with one British overseas territory, Gibraltar, and the Palestinian Coastal Territory.
01:32There are also between 2,000 and 2,200 islands in the sea, controlled under the jurisdiction of these nations.
01:39If we consider Cyprus as a European nation, as opposed to an Asian nation, 12 of those nations are European.
01:47France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Malta, Monaco, and Cyprus.
01:57Five African nations share the sea with them, namely Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya.
02:04Rounding off the Mediterranean nations are five Asian states, Turkey, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, and the partially recognized state of Palestine.
02:14Understandably, all of these nations maintain active navies, except Palestine and Bosnia and Herzegovina,
02:21whose naval forces have been rendered effectively defunct, following decades of attrition and blockade by Israel.
02:27These include major fleets like those of France, Italy, and Turkey, regarded as some of the most powerful in the
02:34world,
02:34along with smaller but capable navies of nations like Montenegro and Albania.
02:39Even the micro-state of Monaco operates a small naval unit for coastal patrol and security.
02:45In 2026, only eight of these nations operate submarines within their fleets.
02:51Crucially, as we'll discover shortly, at least two pairs of these nations have long-standing rivalries.
02:57If hostilities ever went kinetic between them, their submarine fleets would play a major role in the outcome of the
03:04battle.
03:04The most powerful submarine force among these nations belongs to France,
03:09since it's the only nation that operates nuclear-powered attack submarines.
03:13All the others exclusively operate diesel-electric or air-independent propulsion-powered or AIP submarines,
03:21and only one, Turkey, even has plans to acquire a nuclear-powered submarine in the future.
03:27France's nine nuclear-powered submarines place it in the big league of undersea powers.
03:32Besides France, only five other nations operate nuclear-powered subs,
03:37the US, Russia, the UK, China, and India.
03:40Nuclear-powered submarines have four key advantages over conventional diesel-electric and AIP-powered submarines.
03:48Firstly, they offer an unlimited range and endurance.
03:51Unlike conventionally powered engines, nuclear reactors do not require air,
03:56so they can remain submerged for months and operate for decades without refueling.
04:01This grants nuclear submarines a virtually unlimited range, limited only by food and supplies for the crew.
04:07Second, nuclear power provides immense energy, allowing these submarines to sustain high speeds,
04:13often over 30 knots for long periods.
04:16That makes nuclear-powered submarines capable of rapid global deployment and strategic repositioning,
04:22to an extent simply not possible with conventionally powered ships.
04:26Thirdly, unlike diesel-electric submarines, which must surface to run engines and recharge batteries,
04:32nuclear-powered submarines don't need to snorkel at all.
04:36They can stay completely submerged for their entire mission, greatly enhancing their stealth and survivability.
04:42Fourth, they can wield nuclear weapons, although to be clear, not all nuclear-powered submarines are nuclear-weapon capable.
04:49There are essentially three classes of nuclear-powered submarines,
04:57The SSBNs operated by all six nations with nuclear-powered submarines have been specifically designed to carry
05:04and launch submarine-launched ballistic missiles, or SLBMs, armed with nuclear warheads.
05:10These form the sea-based leg of these nations' nuclear triad deterrent,
05:14also considered to be the most survivable leg.
05:17Because an SSBN can hide deep in the world's oceans for months,
05:21tracking one is extremely difficult even for advanced navies.
05:25That provides an assured second-strike capability that deters adversaries from attempting a first nuclear attack,
05:31making SSBN central to the national security doctrines of those nations.
05:36In contrast, SSNs are primarily designed for hunting other ships and submarines,
05:42with conventional torpedoes and cruise missiles.
05:44While some Russian SSNs can be equipped with nuclear-armed cruise missiles,
05:49they're not designed to carry nuclear ballistic missiles as such.
05:53There's one possible exception, as we'll discuss a little later on.
05:57Now, France has a total force of nine submarines, all nuclear-powered,
06:01including four nuclear-armed SSBNs and five conventionally-armed SSNs.
06:06It's Le Trionphant-class SSBNs that Le Trionphant, Le Temeraire, Le Vigilant and Le Terrible
06:14were all commissioned between 1997 and 2010.
06:18They're based at Elongway in the city of Brest in Western Brittany.
06:22These large, modern and extremely quiet vessels have a length of just below 450 feet
06:29and displaced 12,640 tons surfaced and 14,335 tons submerged.
06:36They're powered by a 150-megawatt, 200,000-horsepower K-15 pressurized water nuclear reactor,
06:44which delivers speeds of more than 25 knots submerged and at unlimited ranges.
06:48They're equipped with four 21-inch torpedo tubes,
06:53which can fire both F-17 Mod.2, F-21 heavyweight torpedoes,
06:59and MBDA Exocet SM-39 anti-ship missiles, or SSMs.
07:04More importantly, from a nuclear deterrent perspective,
07:08all four Le Triomphe-class submarines carry 16 vertically-launched M-51 ballistic missiles,
07:14each armed with multiple TN-75 thermonuclear warheads utilizing MIRV,
07:20multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle technology,
07:24as well as a 115-kiloton TN-75 thermonuclear warhead
07:28with six multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles, or MIRVs.
07:34Three of France's four SSBNs have been upgraded with a more advanced iteration,
07:38the M-51.2, which, according to the French Ministry of Defense,
07:43significantly extends the missile's range to around 5,600 miles.
07:48The new missile is also intended to carry the new TNO nuclear warhead,
07:53which is more advanced and designed to be more survivable than the older TN-75.
07:58In addition to its SSBNs, France also currently fields five SSNs.
08:04Three are of the modern Barracuda, or Souffrin, class.
08:07The Souffrin, Duguay-Truine and Torville,
08:10and the fourth, the Degrasse, is currently undergoing sea trials.
08:14Two more, the Degrasse and the Duc de Bouillon, are in trials or under construction.
08:19These are intended to replace France's two other active SSNs,
08:24the aging Ruby-class, Amethyst, and Perla.
08:27The Perla is actually due to be retired in mid-2028.
08:30After being severely damaged by a fire in 2020,
08:34the ship was repaired and returned to active service in July 2023.
08:39However, it will soon be retired to make way for a new Barracuda-class ship.
08:43The Ruby-class ships have a length of around 241.5 feet
08:48and a displacement of 2,600 tonne submerged.
08:52They're equipped with four torpedo tubes for F-17 torpedoes and Exocet SM-39 SSMs.
08:59By contrast, the new Barracuda-class ships offer significantly greater performance and firepower.
09:05They're longer, with a length of almost 325 feet,
09:09and have more than double the submerged displacement at 5,300 tons.
09:13They can fire 24 weapons launched via four torpedo tubes,
09:18including MDCN land-attack cruise missiles, F-21 torpedoes,
09:23Exocet SM-39 SSMs, and naval mines.
09:27They're also equipped with a special forces deployment system,
09:30making these submarines versatile enough to handle anti-ship, anti-submarine,
09:35land-attack, intelligence, and special forces operations.
09:39Now, on paper, the fact that France is the only Mediterranean power with nuclear-powered
09:44and nuclear-armed submarines means it should dominate the undersea theater in the region uncontested.
09:50But that's not necessarily the case for two reasons.
09:53Firstly, with one notable exception,
09:56all the other Mediterranean submarine-operating nations
09:59have a predominantly local and regional focus.
10:02Turkey has a broader geopolitical reach,
10:05with bases in northern Cyprus, Qatar, and Somalia.
10:09It also secured a 99-year lease for Suakin Island in Sudan in 2018,
10:14with the intention of establishing a major naval base there,
10:17although development has been hampered by the ongoing multi-year civil war in that nation.
10:22It also has military cooperation packs with Albania and Azerbaijan,
10:27and forward operating bases in Iraq, Syria, and Libya.
10:31So, Turkey's military strategy stretches significantly beyond protecting its borders.
10:36But thanks to France's former status as a major colonial power,
10:40its geopolitical and economic interests span the globe.
10:44In effect, that means that its nuclear-powered submarines
10:47can't be focused entirely on the Mediterranean region.
10:50They must conduct operations in the Atlantic, Indian, and even Pacific Oceans,
10:55as well as to safeguard France's global interests.
10:58So, only a few of France's submarines may actually be available at any given time
11:02for Mediterranean operations.
11:05Secondly, in some situations,
11:07electric, diesel, and particularly AIP-powered submarines,
11:11offer significant advantages compared to their larger, more powerful counterparts.
11:15And the Mediterranean is a theatre jam-packed with those situations.
11:20For starters, there's the cost factor.
11:22Nuclear-powered submarines have significantly higher costs
11:25than conventionally powered submarines for both construction and operations.
11:29A U.S.-Virginia-class nuclear attack submarine, for example,
11:33costs between $1.8 billion and $3.6 billion.
11:37In contrast, a modern Swedish Gotland-class diesel-electric submarine with AIP
11:43costs about $200 million.
11:46And even Germany's high-end Type 212
11:48costs less than half a Virginia-class ship at around $1.3 billion.
11:53It's also much more expensive to operate a nuclear-powered submarine.
11:57The annual operating cost for a single Virginia-class submarine
12:00is estimated at $140 million, covering crew, maintenance, and support.
12:06Diesel-electric submarines require more frequent refueling.
12:10However, their overall life-cycle costs are estimated
12:13to be a fraction of their nuclear counterparts,
12:16with through-life costs for a nuclear fleet
12:18estimated to be 50% to 70% higher than a diesel fleet.
12:22The additional cost of a nuclear-powered submarine fleet
12:25may well be worth the expense for a nation like France,
12:28where the blue-water advantages of a nuclear-powered submarine
12:32can't be matched by cheaper diesel-electric or AIP-powered craft.
12:37But for nations like Italy, Spain, Algeria, and Egypt,
12:41whose naval focus is primarily regional defense and coastal operations,
12:45as opposed to power projection,
12:47the vast extra sums needed to go nuclear
12:49can't really be justified strategically.
12:52The exorbitant cost of building and maintaining nuclear submarines
12:56is simply far beyond the defense budgets of most nations.
13:00Most countries also simply don't have the highly advanced industrial base,
13:04specialized shipyards,
13:05and a workforce trained in nuclear engineering and safety
13:08needed to develop and maintain nuclear propulsion.
13:12Diesel-electric AIP submarines, on the other hand,
13:15are significantly cheaper,
13:16allowing smaller navies to acquire and sustain a fleet.
13:20Not that Turkey's navy, or defense budget,
13:22can be considered small by global standards.
13:25In terms of numbers,
13:27Turkey already has more submarines than France,
13:3012 hulls as compared to nine.
13:32As of 2026,
13:34the Turkish navy operates 12 diesel-electric attack submarines,
13:38with plans to expand the fleet to 18.
13:41All are conventionally powered,
13:43with the newer Reiss-class featuring AIP propulsion,
13:46and the rest powered by diesel-electric engines.
13:48The oldest of those are three Atalai-class submarines,
13:52the TCG Yildarai,
13:54TCG Doanai,
13:56and TCG Dolanai.
13:58A fourth ship,
13:59the TCG Butarai,
14:00was recently decommissioned in June 2025,
14:04and the Yildarai is currently being used for test and training duties,
14:08while the other two ships remain in active service.
14:10With a length of 193.5 feet,
14:13and a submerged displacement of 1,200 tons,
14:16they pack eight torpedo tubes for 14 torpedoes,
14:20including indigenous Akyar heavyweight torpedoes.
14:24Turkey's four Prevese-class submarines are more recent,
14:28commissioned between 1994 and 1999.
14:31The TCG Prevese,
14:33TCG Sakarya,
14:35TCG 18 Mart,
14:37and TCG Anafatalar,
14:39are marginally longer than the Atalai-class at 200.1 feet,
14:43displace 1,586-ton submerged,
14:47and also carry eight torpedo tubes for 14 torpedoes.
14:51Unlike the older Atalai-class Type 209-1200 boats,
14:56they're based on the larger German Type 209-1400 design,
15:00and were built in Turkey.
15:01Even more recent are the four Gür-class ships,
15:05the TCG Gore,
15:06TCG Chanakale,
15:08TCG Burakres,
15:10and TCG B Inanu.
15:11Commissioned between 2003 and 2007,
15:15they're improved versions of German Type 209-T2,
15:181400 designs, built in Turkey.
15:21They share a 200.1-foot length,
15:23and the eight torpedo tubes with the Prevese-class,
15:26but have a slightly higher displacement at 1,586-ton submerged.
15:32The current flagship of Turkey's submarine fleet
15:35is the first of its new race-class,
15:37the TCG Piri race, commissioned in 2024.
15:41Five more of the race-class are currently under construction or on order,
15:45expanding the size and power of the fleet significantly.
15:48These modifications of the German Type 214-TN,
15:52co-produced in Turkey, are 219.8 feet long,
15:56have a submerged displacement of 1,800 tons,
15:59and feature AIP propulsion,
16:02allowing for weeks of stealthy submerged operation.
16:05The ship's eight torpedo tubes
16:07are capable of launching Akyar torpedoes
16:10and IDAS anti-air missiles,
16:12giving them a broad operational profile.
16:14As noted earlier,
16:16Turkey has announced its intention
16:17to develop a nuclear-powered submarine in the longer term,
16:20known as Niyukden.
16:22However,
16:23the intention is to develop a nuclear-powered submarine,
16:26not a nuclear-armed ship.
16:28Turkey,
16:28at least officially,
16:29is not a nuclear power
16:30and has no intention of becoming one.
16:33The enhanced blue-water operations
16:35that this ship would provide
16:36speak to Turkey's widening geopolitical ambitions.
16:40However,
16:41it's unlikely that Turkey's primary intention
16:43is to deploy the Niyukden in the Mediterranean.
16:46Now,
16:47if you enjoy daily updates
16:49of the most important military stories around the world
16:52and detailed deep dives
16:53into the latest military development,
16:55make sure you subscribe to the channel.
16:58At The Military Show,
16:59we dig way beneath the headlines
17:00to bring you the full story
17:02and why it matters.
17:03Now,
17:04as noted earlier,
17:05nuclear-powered submarines
17:06aren't always the more effective choice
17:08compared to conventionally-powered submarines,
17:11and the Mediterranean is a perfect case in point.
17:14The sea is characterized by numerous islands,
17:17shallow, literal coasts,
17:18confined coastal areas,
17:20archipelagos,
17:21and several narrow choke points.
17:23Conventionally-powered submarines' smaller size
17:26and superior maneuverability
17:27are better suited to these situations,
17:30where larger and more costly nuclear submarines
17:32are less effective and more vulnerable.
17:35When operating on battery or AIP power,
17:38they're significantly quieter than nuclear submarines,
17:41whose reactor coolant pumps
17:42generate constant mechanical noise.
17:45This allows the smaller submarines
17:46to lie in wait silently on the seabed,
17:49making them formidable ambush predators
17:51against both surface ships
17:52and other submarines.
17:54Since diesel-electric and AIP-powered submarines
17:57are much cheaper to build and operate,
17:59a navy can field a larger number of vessels
18:01for coastal defense, surveillance,
18:04and sea-denial missions close to home,
18:06providing greater tactical efficiency
18:08for regional conflicts.
18:09The extended operation time
18:11and nuclear weapon capabilities
18:13of nuclear-powered submarines
18:15provide much less of an advantage
18:17in these waters
18:18as opposed to the deep blue sea.
18:20To a great extent,
18:21the need for nuclear-powered submarines
18:23in the Mediterranean
18:24is also mitigated by the fact
18:26that so many of the European nations,
18:28along with Turkey A,
18:30are members of NATO.
18:31If tensions in the region
18:32ever escalate to the point
18:34that the extra firepower
18:35and extended mission profiles
18:37of nuclear submarines become critical,
18:40Mediterranean NATO members
18:41would expect the support
18:42of nuclear submarines
18:44from France, the UK,
18:45and the US to fill the gap.
18:47That said,
18:48Takie's main rival in the region
18:50is a fellow NATO member, Greece.
18:52The long-standing disputes
18:54between the two nations,
18:55particularly over the island of Cyprus,
18:57have certainly been kept in check
18:58by their mutual NATO membership.
19:00But that hasn't stopped Greece
19:02from assembling a formidable submarine fleet
19:04of its own.
19:05It's smaller than Turkey A's
19:07and older,
19:07but still provides an effective deterrent
19:09in the shallow,
19:10island-filled waters
19:11of the Aegean Sea
19:12and eastern Mediterranean.
19:14As of 2026,
19:16the Hellenic Navy operates
19:18five diesel-electric attack submarines,
19:20four modern Papa Nicolese-class
19:22and five older ships,
19:24one Okeanos-class,
19:26three Poseidon-class,
19:27and one Glafkos-class submarine.
19:29Like the Turkish submarines,
19:31the four modern submarines,
19:33the Papa Nicolese,
19:34Pipinos,
19:36Matrosos,
19:37and Katzones S-123
19:39were constructed in Greece
19:40from German designs,
19:42this time the Type 214HN.
19:44They're diesel-electric with AIP,
19:47allowing for extended submerge operations,
19:49with a length of 213.25 feet
19:52and a displacement of 1,600 tonne submerge,
19:56plus eight torpedo tubes
19:58for 14 Black Shark heavyweight torpedoes
20:00and sub-harpoon SSMs.
20:02They're pretty much a match
20:04for the upper end of Turkey's fleet.
20:06Although the solitary Okeanos-class submarine,
20:09the eponymously named Okeanos,
20:11was upgraded with a retro-fitted engine,
20:13it and the other older Greek submarines
20:15are starting to become decidedly long in the tooth.
20:18So, the Hellenic Navy is well underway
20:21with plans to replace them with modern submarines,
20:23with French, German, and Swedish models
20:25under consideration.
20:27It's a similar story with Italy submarines,
20:29although since Italy doesn't have a direct rival
20:32like Greece does,
20:33the need to modernize is arguably less pressing.
20:35The Italian Navy currently operates
20:37eight diesel-electric attack submarines,
20:40four modern but aging Saro-class
20:42and four advanced Todaro-class.
20:45However, like the other nations we've mentioned so far,
20:48Italy is also deep into a substantial
20:50submarine modernization program.
20:52In particular, the keel-laying ceremony
20:55of the first of four next-generation U-21-2 NFS submarines
20:59was held in February 2026.
21:02They're intended to replace the aging Saro-class.
21:05Not that the Saro-class is ineffective ships,
21:08they're just nearing the end of their service lives.
21:10The four ships, the Salvatore Pelosi,
21:13Primo Longobardo, Gianfranco Gazana Pierroggia,
21:17S5-25, and Giuliano Brini,
21:20entered service between 1988 and 1995.
21:24These diesel-electric powered submarines
21:26have a length of 218.8 feet,
21:29a displacement of 1,450 tons submerged,
21:32and carry six torpedo tubes
21:34for Black Shark heavyweight torpedoes
21:36and sub-harpoon anti-ship missiles.
21:39The current flagships of the Italian submarine fleet,
21:42the Todaro-class, are much more modern.
21:45The four ships, Salvatore Todaro,
21:48Shire, Todaro-class type 212A,
21:51and Pietro Venuti,
21:53entered service between 2006 and 2017.
21:57Powered by diesel-electric AIP propulsion,
22:00these Italian type 212A modifications
22:02of the original German design
22:04have a length of 183.7 feet,
22:08a submerged displacement of 1,650 tons,
22:11and the same weapons configuration
22:13as the Saro-class.
22:14The new U-212 near-future submarine, or NFS,
22:18raises Italy's undersea game significantly.
22:21According to the manufacturer,
22:23Italian defense giant Fincantieri,
22:26the U-212 NFS submarine class
22:28represents a substantial evolution
22:30compared to its U-212A predecessors,
22:33thanks to greater design maturity,
22:36a higher level of national technological content,
22:38and improved integration of onboard systems.
22:41The innovations developed by Italian industry,
22:43including the lithium-ion propulsion battery
22:46and the new combat system,
22:47will ensure greater stealth, endurance,
22:49efficiency, and cyber resilience.
22:52The U-212 NFS will be equipped
22:54with land-attack cruise missiles,
22:56torpedoes, and unmanned underwater vehicles.
22:59In addition to this extended firepower,
23:01the vessel will receive multiple sensors,
23:04an upgraded communication and electronic warfare suite,
23:07and an enhanced autopilot technology
23:09to maintain awareness and operability.
23:12The submarine has a length of 194 feet,
23:15a beam of 23 feet,
23:16and a two-level deck
23:18to accommodate more than 30 crew members.
23:20When they're delivered,
23:21planned for between 2029 and 2032,
23:25they'll arguably give Italy
23:26the most cutting-edge non-nuclear-powered submarines,
23:28beneath the Mediterranean's waters.
23:31At least for now,
23:32the fellow NATO member
23:33most likely to call upon the support
23:35of these advanced new submarines
23:37in an emergency is Spain.
23:39Considering that Spain,
23:41along with the British in Gibraltar,
23:43is largely responsible for security
23:45in the critical Strait of Gibraltar chokepoint,
23:48you might expect it
23:49to have a significant submarine fleet.
23:51In fact,
23:51it currently only fills three submarines in its fleet,
23:54and two are from the 1980s.
23:56Spain's Galerna-class,
23:58also known as the S-70 Agosta-class,
24:01is now nearing the end of its service life,
24:03with the remaining S-71 Galerna set
24:06to be replaced as newer S-80-plus-class,
24:09or Isaac Perel-class submarines,
24:11enter service.
24:12Now,
24:13like the other European submarine powers
24:15in the Mediterranean,
24:17Spain also has a major naval modernization effort underway,
24:21spearheaded by the development
24:22of four of the new S-80-plus designs.
24:25Armed with heavy torpedoes
24:27and eventually advanced AIP propulsion,
24:29these new diesel-electric attack boats
24:31represent a major leap
24:33in Madrid's underwater combat capabilities.
24:36However,
24:37design flaws
24:37and a government budget crisis
24:39left the Perel project underwater
24:41for many years.
24:42It took 5,831 days
24:45from the keel-laying ceremony
24:46for Spain to launch
24:47the first of the class,
24:49the Isaac Perel,
24:50in May 2021.
24:52The second of the class,
24:53the S-82 Narciso Monturiol,
24:56began sea trials in late 2025,
24:58and the next two ships
25:00in the current order of six in total,
25:02the Cosme Garcia
25:03and the Mateo Garcia de los Reyes,
25:05had their keels laid out in 2010 and 2011,
25:09with expected commissioning dates
25:10in 2028 and 2029, respectively.
25:14The Isaac Perel-class ships
25:16are longer than most current submarines
25:18in the Mediterranean
25:18at 265.7 feet
25:21and heavier,
25:22with a displacement of 2,965 tons submerged.
25:26With a range of 5,000 nautical miles,
25:29they have an endurance of up to 50 days.
25:31They're armed with naval mines,
25:33plus 5,33 mm torpedo tubes
25:36for the DM-2A4 Seahake Heavy Torpedo,
25:39UGM-84 Harpoon Missile,
25:42and optionally,
25:43the Black Shark Torpedo.
25:44Once the full complement
25:45of Isaac Perel-class is operational,
25:48Spain will, on paper,
25:50have the most powerful conventional submarine fleet
25:52in the far western Mediterranean.
25:54Until then,
25:55the other western Mediterranean-powered submarines,
25:57Algeria,
25:58currently holds a significant advantage over Spain.
26:01The Algerian National Navy
26:03currently operates a fleet of six conventional
26:06diesel-electric submarines,
26:08or variants of the Russian Kilo-class,
26:10with another two modernized Kilo-class variants
26:12believed to be on order.
26:14The first four,
26:15O-21 Mesali-El-Huj,
26:18O-22 Akram-Bucha,
26:20O-31 El Huar Ceniz,
26:23and O-32 El Hogar
26:25are of the Project 636 Varsavianca class,
26:28and are mainly intended for anti-shipping
26:30and anti-submarine operations
26:32in relatively shallow waters.
26:34The torpedo-hulled submarine
26:36is 238.2 feet long,
26:39has a displacement of 3,076 ton submerged,
26:43and can reportedly reach speeds
26:44of up to 25 knots.
26:46They're armed with six 533-millimeter torpedo tubes,
26:50carry up to 18 homing or wire-guided torpedoes,
26:53or 24 AM-1 mines,
26:55and can also be fitted with four caliber cruise missiles.
26:58Algeria also has two older Project 877-EKM submarines,
27:03the original Kilo-class build.
27:05However, the Ruiz Hajj Mubarak
27:07and El Hajj Slimaneh
27:09were upgraded in the 2010s
27:11to extend service life
27:13and integrate modern weapons.
27:15Fortunately,
27:16despite its long-standing
27:17and deep strategic ties
27:18with both Russia and China,
27:20Algeria maintains friendly
27:22and improving relations
27:23with both the EU and NATO.
27:25So, the probability
27:26of an undersea conflict
27:27between the submarine powers
27:29on the western end
27:30of the Mediterranean is low.
27:32The same cannot be said
27:33on the other end of the sea.
27:35Egypt and Israel
27:36may have a peace agreement
27:37that has held
27:38since its signing in 1979,
27:40but the two nations
27:41had previously been to war four times
27:43since the state of Israel's establishment
27:45in 1948,
27:47the Arab-Israeli War
27:48in that year,
27:49the 1956 Suez Crisis,
27:51the 1967 Six-Day War,
27:54and the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
27:56Although broad trade
27:57and military cooperation
27:58between the two nations
28:00have held steady,
28:01tensions have been mounting
28:02in recent years.
28:03Egypt has criticized
28:05Israel's actions in Gaza,
28:07particularly its military presence
28:08in the Philadelphia Corridor,
28:10which Cairo views
28:11as a violation of the peace treaty.
28:13Israel, for its part,
28:15feels that Egypt
28:16has attempted to insert itself
28:17into negotiations
28:18between Israel and Lebanon,
28:20and is unhappy
28:21about what it sees
28:22as provocative military exercises
28:24near Israel's border.
28:26Given the extreme
28:27strategic importance
28:28of the Suez Canal,
28:29if tensions were to spill over
28:31into kinetic conflict,
28:32the two-nation submarine fleets
28:34would likely play
28:35a decisive role in the outcome.
28:37The Egyptian navy
28:38currently operates
28:39eight submarines,
28:40divided into two countries,
28:41four modern S-41-class
28:44Type 209-1400-mod
28:46German-built
28:47diesel-electric attack submarines,
28:49and four older Romeo-class
28:50or Type 0-33
28:52Chinese-built submarines
28:53based on a Soviet design.
28:55The S-41-class hulls
28:57are high-end ships,
28:58built with typical German quality,
29:00and launched between 2015 and 2020.
29:03They're 204 feet long,
29:05have a displacement
29:06of 1,600 tons submerged,
29:08and are equipped with
29:09eight 533-millimeter torpedo tubes
29:12for up to 14 DM-2A4
29:14Sea-Hake Mod-4 torpedoes
29:16or UGM-84L Harpoon Block-2
29:19anti-ship missiles.
29:21They can also lay naval mines.
29:23The older four submarines
29:25are listed as active,
29:26but in reality,
29:27are likely used for training
29:29or harbor duties
29:30due to age and obsolescence.
29:32However,
29:32just like every other nation
29:34we've discussed,
29:34Egypt is evaluating
29:36next-generation submarines
29:37to replace them,
29:38with the French Barracuda-class
29:40and Spanish S-80-plus-class
29:42reportedly of highest interest.
29:44For its part,
29:45the Israeli Navy
29:46operates six Dolphin-class submarines,
29:49built by HDW in Germany.
29:51These are among the most advanced
29:52diesel-electric submarines
29:54in the world
29:54and form the core
29:55of Israel's sea-based deterrents.
29:57The first three,
29:59INS Dolphin,
30:00INS Leviathan,
30:01and INS Takuma,
30:03are of the Dolphin-1
30:04or S-77 class
30:06and were commissioned
30:07between 1999 and 2000.
30:09They're 188 feet long,
30:11have a submerged displacement
30:13of 1,900 tons,
30:14and are equipped
30:15with six 533-millimeter
30:17torpedo tubes
30:18as well as four
30:19650-millimeter tubes
30:21for cruise missiles,
30:22mines,
30:23or special forces vehicles.
30:25The newer Dolphin-2
30:26or S-78 class
30:28are AIP-powered
30:29for extra mission duration,
30:31225 feet long,
30:32and have a displacement
30:33of 2,400 tons submerged.
30:36They have the same armaments
30:37as the S-77 class,
30:39but feature enhanced systems,
30:41a non-magnetic hull,
30:42advanced stealth,
30:43and special forces
30:44deployment capability.
30:46The first two of the class,
30:47the INS Tannin
30:48and INS Rahov,
30:50were commissioned
30:50in 2014 and 2016,
30:52respectively,
30:53with the third,
30:54the INS Drakon,
30:56delivered in 2024,
30:57and currently undergoing
30:59sea trials.
30:59Needless to say,
31:01with everyone else
31:02in the region
31:02busy with modernization plans,
31:04Israel is no exception.
31:06In 2022,
31:07Israel and Germany
31:09finalized a contract
31:10for three next-generation
31:11Dakar-class submarines
31:13to replace
31:14the aging Dolphin-1 boats,
31:16with delivery expected
31:16from 2027
31:18to the early 2030s.
31:20These ships
31:20are expected
31:21to be larger,
31:22have improved AIP,
31:24combat systems,
31:24and sensor suites,
31:25and greater payload capacity
31:27for missiles
31:28and unmanned systems.
31:29These new ships
31:30should enable Israel
31:31to maintain
31:32the undersea edge
31:33over Egypt
31:34into the next generation.
31:35Although Israeli-Turkish
31:37relations are also
31:38deteriorating,
31:39and Israel's relationship
31:40with Algeria
31:41is frosty at best,
31:43it might have to rely
31:43on a secret capability
31:45if a full-scale Islamic war
31:47against Israel,
31:48like the one in 1948,
31:49were to break out
31:50in the near future.
31:52Nuclear weapons
31:53Israel's nuclear arsenal
31:55is one of the world's
31:56worst-kept military secrets.
31:58Israel and its main allies,
31:59like the U.S.,
32:00maintain an official policy
32:02of nuclear ambiguity,
32:03but everyone knows
32:04they've got them.
32:05It's widely believed
32:06that all of Israel's submarines
32:08are capable
32:08of launching nuclear weapons,
32:10making them
32:11some of the few SSKs
32:12on the planet
32:13capable of this feat.
32:14Those 650mm tubes
32:16on both the Dolphin-1
32:18and Dolphin-2 submarines
32:19can launch
32:20Popeye turbo-submarine-launch
32:22cruise missiles,
32:23widely assessed
32:24to carry nuclear warheads
32:25with a yield
32:26of around 200 kilotons
32:27and a range
32:28of at least 930 miles.
32:30If true,
32:31this would provide Israel
32:32with a survivable
32:33sea-based
32:34second-strike capability,
32:35putting it
32:36at the same power level
32:37as France.
32:38Add it all up,
32:39and with so much
32:39submarine power
32:40in the Mediterranean,
32:42it's hard to imagine
32:42external powers
32:43like Russia and China
32:44ever gaining
32:45a decisive foothold
32:46in the Med,
32:47despite their
32:48significantly larger fleets.
32:49So long as the
32:50unifying power
32:51of NATO
32:52in the region holds,
32:53the undersea situation
32:54should remain
32:55more or less
32:55under control.
32:56But if that security
32:57blanket were removed,
32:59with so many
33:00high-end submarines
33:01under the waves,
33:02the outcome of the
33:02undersea battle
33:03for the Mediterranean
33:04is hard to call.
33:06Of course,
33:07the Mediterranean powers
33:08are far from
33:09the older European powers
33:10developing advanced
33:11new submarines.
33:12Check out this video
33:13about Sweden's brand-new
33:15groundbreaking A26.
33:17Thanks for watching.
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