JERUSALEM – The Israeli Defense Ministry and Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems signed a deal for the development and production of three advanced submarines for the Israeli Navy, the ministry said.

Under the agreement, Israel will purchase three submarines from a new series called “Dakar” for about 3 billion euros (3.41 billion U.S. dollars), the Defense Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

The German government will fund part of the purchase in accordance with an agreement signed between the two countries in 2017. The first submarine will be delivered to Israel within nine years, according to the agreement, which includes the construction of a training simulator in Israel and the supply of spare parts. The two sides also signed a strategic cooperation agreement that amounts to over 850 million euros.

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“I would like to thank the German government for its assistance in advancing the agreement and for its commitment to Israel’s security,” Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz wrote on Twitter.

He said the new submarines “will upgrade the capabilities of the Israeli Navy, and will contribute to Israel’s security superiority in the region.”