Image reveals Shayetet-13's submarine hangar
Israeli Special Forces, notably Shayetet-13, have a rich combat diver tradition. Despite significant international awareness of the unit, and some of its past exploits, there is very little in the public domain about its equipment. This is particularly true of underwater vehicles. A photo published in several Israeli news outlets (e.g. dailystar) may reveal one previously unreported capability.
The photo, of an Israeli Navy Dolphin Class submarine, was apparently taken on Tuesday Sept. 29, 2020. On its aft casing, behind the sail, is a special forces hangar.
The hangar is very similar to the Italian-built Deep Guardian Shelter. Israel has a long-standing connection to Italian special forces and their suppliers. This includes CABI Cattaneo who build the Deep Guardian shelter. So it is likely that this hangar was built by them, although this has not been confirmed.
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The hangar is approximately 1.5 meters (5 ft) in diameter. This is generally typical of containers for special forces equipment. Payloads might include inflatable boats (with outboard engines) and diver propulsion vehicles (DPVs). It is likely too small for a full-sized Swimmer Delivery Vehicle (SDV).
The submarine is one of the original Dolphin Class, which does not have AIP (Air-Independent Power). It is likely that the same shelter can be carried by the larger Dolphin-II class also.
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