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They don't come onboard when it is delivered, and I just cannot imagine that the Israelis would use these boats, which primary feature is their undetectability (I heard a swedish hydro sucessfully played hide with an american sub for two weeks) and their long sustained submerison for nuclear second strike capabilities. I just can't. That would be too obvious.

So, are saying this indicates they DO have nukes on board or just that the ship is CAPABLE of launching them if they had them?

It is pretty much an open secret that the Dolphin-class subs Israel already has (which are based on a somewhat older German design than the U212A/214, but still equipped with the most up-to-date electronics) are capable of carrying and launching cruise missiles that have been modified to carry nuclear warheads.

The question of whether the subs do have nukes on board is whether they loaded the conventional or the nuclear cruise missiles before taking to sea.

The main advantage of the newer U212A/214 subs with their fuel-cell-AIP is that they combine most of the advantages of nuclear submarines (namely staying submerged for a prolonged period of time, Israel can basically order their subs to hide off the Iranian coast for weeks without the Mullahs ever knowing, which means you can send the subs at the beginning of a crisis instead of the high point of tensions, where the enemy might be much more vigilant. And if things really get nasty, well: SURPRISE!) with that of the smaller diesel-electric subs, namely their compact size and maneuverability, which makes them ideal for the mediterranean or the Persian gulf.

Since they have likely had bombs for 20 or 30 years, and they have had compatible subs for 10 or so years, I would be very surprised if they don't have a submarine delivery capability.

If you note the wording, the indication is that this gives a 'superior' second strike capability. I read that to mean superior to the existing subs, since these have more survivability as a result of being able to stay submerged longer without surfacing or snorkeling.

The only question in my mind is whether the delivery systems can reach Iran from the Med, or whether these are going to need to be based in the Red Sea.

I do wish we could figure out how to get a batch of these (subs, not nukes) to the Republic of China.