Russia is one step closer to arming the world’s largest submarine with the world’s deadliest torpedoes. At least according to Russian state media it is.
This week, Russia’s Tass News Agency reported the country completed the first batch of Poseidon nuclear-capable torpedoes for its Belgorod nuclear-powered submarine. Launched in 2019, the Russian navy’s Belgorod is 583 feet long, 50 feet wide and weighs around 30,000 tons. It can also carry up to six 80-foot-long Poseidon super torpedoes, which are fast and highly maneuverable.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the nuclear-powered Poseidon has a virtually unlimited range, can be controlled remotely and can carry a 2-megaton thermonuclear warhead. Russia claims the Poseidon can also move as fast as 80 knots underwater. If true, that means there is currently no known defense against it.
With missile defenses increasing, Russia said it needed an alternate way to strike U.S. cities and installations with nuclear weapons. A submarine armed with essentially nuclear drones gives Russia that ability. It can strike along the coast or be detonated further at sea, creating a tsunami filled with nuclear material.
It should be noted, the Russian media outlet reporting on the Poseidon’s doesn’t have the greatest reputation of telling the truth. Based on its Ukraine war reporting alone, Tass said Russia destroyed more Ukrainian planes and helicopters than the country actually possessed. Tass is also underreporting Russian casualties and the suspected Russian war crimes in Ukraine.
Therefore, any information from Tass should be greeted with a healthy degree of skepticism. However, that doesn’t mean news of a Russian-made unstoppable doomsday weapon can be ignored. Based on the Tass article, it’s unclear how many Poseidon torpedoes Russia now has, or whether they’re actually armed with nuclear warheads. It’s also unclear when the Poseidon might actually be ready for deployment.
Some military analysts question the timing of the announcement, which comes when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is bogged down and Russian troops are reportedly suffering heavy losses.
