At 34, Lt. Col. R. commands a billion-shekel submarine on missions near enemy shores

Lt. Col. R., commander of the INS Dolphin submarine, was called to duty for Operation Roaring Lion on February 28, 2026, just as a campaign against Iran began. He left his wife and toddler daughter to embark on a mission that kept him and his crew submerged and cut off from communication for weeks. His wife, S., described the immense difficulty of this isolation, stating, "I don't think there is any other job in the military like this. You can't send a message, you can't call, there's no FaceTime, no telling your daughter good night. It's a total disconnect."

• R. took command of the INS Dolphin a month before the operation, a role with personal significance as he is the grandson of one of the 69 crew members lost on the INS Dakar submarine in 1968.
• The Dakar's story was a constant presence in his life, with a piece of the submarine's bridge displayed in his office and his daughter's birth coinciding with the anniversary of its discovery.
• During Operation Roaring Lion, R.'s submarine conducted various missions, including attack, defense, and intelligence gathering in multiple operational theaters, emphasizing the platform's covert capabilities and strategic importance.
• The interview, initially postponed due to the war, revealed the intense and uncertain nature of their missions, with R. noting, "There was a great deal of uncertainty and missions changed at sea based on ongoing situation assessments."