Drakon). Additionally, Israel signed an MoU with Germany for the construction of three Dakar-class submarines with expected delivery in the late 2020s which will replace its three Dolphin 1 submarines delivered in the late 1990s. On 26 August 2021, Israel Shipyards announced that the Israeli Navy has signed an agreement with it for the design and supply of a new class of missile boats based on Israel Shipyards' Sa'ar 72-class corvette that would replace its Sa'ar 4.5 ships starting in the mid-2020s. Israel Shipyards would also construct a large dry dock which would enable it to outfit these new corvettes with various Israeli-made systems, as well as to service and maintain the corvettes in addition to Dolphin submarines. On an 24 October 2021 interview with Jane's Information Group, the head of the Israeli Navys` Naval Vessels Department said that these new "Reshef"-class corvettes would be equipped with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems's C-Dome air-defence system. He also said that their design was expected to be complete in about two years, and the first ship would likely take another two to four years to construct. Eight are to be built, with each replacing a Sa'ar 4.5 upon being commissioned. Ranks The Israeli Navy is small compared to other Navies and the officers chain of command is as follows with respect to Royal – Navy / United States: Officers Enlisted Sleeve rank of Israeli Navy Commander-in-Chief is a rank of honor. This began as special permission from Lt. General Amnon Lipkin-Shahak (then chief of staff of the IDF) and allows the Navy Commander-in-Chief to have a sleeve rank of Vice Admiral which is equal to Lt. General, the rank of the IDF Chief of Staff. However the de facto rank of Israeli Navy Commander-in-Chief is Rear Admiral and the gesture given to the navy is ceremonial only when meeting foreign commanding officers. The same resolution as mentioned above applies to the rank of Commodore. There is ceremonial-only sleeve rank of Rear–Admiral while by the IDF hierarchy and chain of command he remains a commodore. List of commanders See also Cherbourg Project Military equipment of Israel Betar Naval Academy Israel Defense Forces ranks List of flags of Israel Israeli Naval Academy References External links Sea Corps Official Site History of the Navy North American Volunteers in Israel's War of Independence Israeli submarines World Navies Today: Israel Military units and formations established in 1948 1948