Russian submarine capable of carrying Poseidon “nuclear super torpedo” goes to sea for first time, military bloggers say

Russia's Khabarovsk submarine, designed to carry an autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle armed with a nuclear warhead, has completed its maiden voyage. The vessel, undergoing sea trials in the White Sea, is the first in its class to be equipped with Poseidon systems, a nuclear-powered, autonomous underwater drone. According to unverified accounts, the Khabarovsk has six launch tubes for these systems.

Post-trials, it is anticipated to join the Pacific Fleet and serve from Kamchatka, potentially next year. The Khabarovsk is the sole submarine constructed under Project 09851, a design developed by the Rubin Central Design Bureau and manufactured at the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk, Arkhangelsk region. Currently, Russia's naval fleet comprises one Poseidon carrier: the Belgorod, a special-purpose nuclear-powered submarine with four launch tubes for Poseidon systems.

Since 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin has lauded Poseidon as an exceptionally powerful weapon, often employing it as a threat against Western nations. Russian state media have suggested that deploying Poseidon off the coast of the United Kingdom could trigger a devastating tsunami, capable of annihilating the island. However, testing the Poseidon as a complete weapon is impractical due to the potential for environmental disaster, despite modeling indicating that a catastrophic radioactive tsunami cannot be produced by an underwater nuclear explosion.

The Poseidon project, initiated in the 1980s, is also among the most costly and resource-intensive programs in Russia's defense industry history, leading to allegations of state fund misappropriation. Beyond substantial investments in research and supporting infrastructure, Poseidon demands specialized nuclear submarines as carriers.

Conceptually, Poseidon represents a new class of nuclear weapon, blending attributes of an underwater drone and a torpedo, with no direct counterparts. Nonetheless, the existence of a finished, deployable version remains unconfirmed.