The need to find deterrence solutions arises from the probability that during the next decade Iran, and maybe even Iraq, will acquire the nuclear ballistic capability to hit Israeli targets. The experience of the Cold War has taught that the only way to deal with a nuclear threat is by building a reliable and efficient deterrence capability. This was the basis for preserving nuclear stability between the two superpowers, and this, almost certainly, will also be the basis for the strategic system in the multi-nuclear Middle East. In order to make the deterrence capability reliable, strategic components are needed which cannot be damaged, even if the enemy manages to surprise and to hit most of the reactive weapons systems at one's command. The most efficient and reliable component is a submarine force armed with missiles, which can be launched from under the water.
Submarines are very hard to locate and destroy.
When one side knows that its enemy has them, it will be deterred from launching nuclear weapons, knowing that it is impossible to avoid their lethal counter-strike. The Israel Navy has acquired three Dolphin-class submarines, and according to foreign sources, they have been designed in such a way that missiles can be launched from them. The strategic role of the navy in the context of IDF deployment in light of the anticipated threats, and the centrality of submarines in the new concept, have of course been noted by foreign observers. But navy commanders have often spoken of this. Avraham Botzar, former navy commander, in an interview which he gave back in 1990.