Israel Increases War Preparations: Reserves Called And Another Nuclear Submarine On The Way

This one comes from The Blaze and underscores how things are continuing to close in around Israel:

Israel Calls Up Reserves

The Israel Defense Forces have issued emergency orders calling up six reserve battalions to the Egyptian and Syrian borders and could summon an additional 16 if necessary, the Times of Israel reported Wednesday.

Commanders said security threats prompted the move, Arutz Sheva reported. The order could put between 2,000 and 6,000 additional troops on the borders, according to Fox News.

“This signifies that the IDF regards the Egyptian and Syrian borders as the potential source of a greater threat than in the past,” former IDF deputy chief of staff Dan Harel said Wednesday, according to the Times.

Harel cited the growing terror threat in the Sinai and Egypt’s “deteriorating control” over the area, including a surge in weapons smuggling.

(Related: Egypt Sending in Troops to Secure Sinai Peninsula After Rocket Attack on Israeli City)

The ongoing violence in Syria, Harel said, “could explode at any moment…and pose a direct challenge to us.”

Meanwhile, Israel continues to bolster their defense:

Israel To Take Delivery Of Fourth Submarine From Germany

Defense delegation arrives in Germany ahead of delivery of Dolphin-class submarine, widely rumored to be capable of carrying nuclear weapons; expected to arrive in Israel in coming months.

Led by Defense Ministry Dir.-Gen. Udi Shani, the delegation met with senior German defense officials and was scheduled to visit the shipyard where the submarine is being built. It is expected to arrive in Israel in the coming months.

Israel’s submarines are the military’s most expensive platform and are often referred to as the country’s second-strike doomsday weapon due to their reported ability to fire cruise missiles tipped with nuclear warheads.

The three Dolphin-class submarines in the navy’s fleet are called Dolphin, Leviathan and Tekuma and are believed to be some of the most advanced diesel-electric submarines in the world.

Germany donated the first two submarines after the First Gulf War and split the cost of the third with Israel. The three submarines currently in the navy's possession employ a diesel-electric propulsion system, which requires them to resurface frequently to recharge their batteries.

The submarine that will be delivered is one of two which Israel ordered following the Second Lebanon War in 2006.

In March, Israel signed a contract for a sixth submarine, meaning that by the end of the decade the navy will have doubled its fleet. The German government heavily subsidized both recent deals.