The Israeli Navy on Tuesday welcomed the newest addition to its submarine fleet, INS Tanin, a fourth German-made vessel that military and defense officials say will dramatically boost Israel's ability to operate against foes near and far, local media reported.

Speaking at the welcoming ceremony for the new vessel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the event sends a "sharp and clear message" to Israel's enemies, that it is "determined to confront any threat and any challenge at any time," according to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office.

"In the face of mounting threats, we'll firmly defend our borders. On land with fences, in the air with domes, and at sea with submarines," he said.

Earlier this month, the 50-member crew on board the INS Tanin embarked on its maiden voyage that spanned 8,000 kilometers, beginning at the Kiel shipyard where the vessel was built, through the North Atlantic, to the Gibraltar Straits, and across the Mediterranean Sea to Israel.

Custom-built according to the Israeli Navy's specifications and partially underwritten by the German government, the INS Tanin is Israel's first second-generation Dolphin-class submarine. It employs air-independent propulsion technology, which gives the vessel extended depth and range, as well as the ability to stay submerged longer than the fleet's older subs, all of which means the ability to carry out lengthier intelligence-gathering missions.

The most expensive tool in its military arsenal, the Dolphin- class subs are part of Israel's long-range strategic arm, equipped with a variety of offensive weapons systems and state-of-the-art technology, including radars, target acquisition, electronic warfare and defensive counter-measures like torpedoes.

According to past media reports, the vessels are capable of launching cruise missiles carrying a nuclear warhead, giving Israel a second-strike deterrence capability

Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon recently delivered more belligerent remarks ahead of the submarine's arrival, threatening that if Israel's enemies "make another mistake and seek to force war on us, the State of Israel will go back to operating through all means, in near and far circles, to cut off their hands."

At the inauguration ceremony Tuesday, he thanked German Chancellor Angela Merkel for "the generous support that enabled purchasing the sub. The INS Tanin, and others that will be follow in the coming years, are an expression of the broad cooperation between the two countries," he said.

According to reports on Tuesday, a fifth Dolphin-class sub, the INS Rahav, is expected to arrive in Israel in six months, while a sixth submersible will be delivered sometime in 2019.

Earlier this month, a senior navy officer said submarines provide Israel with a level of intelligence that cannot be achieved by any other means currently at its disposal.

"A submarine can stay in enemy territory for weeks, and no one knows it's there. It can lurk off coastal regions without any problem at all," an unnamed navy official told The Jerusalem Post.

On Tuesday, the paper said the new submarine is now housed at a specialized dock built by the navy, which allows for the vessel to be kept "separately and secretly" at the Haifa base.