Russia tests torpedo beyond US weapons' countermeasures

Laboratory tests have yielded results that exceeded expectations. Preparations for the first sea trials of the Poseidon in the summer of 2019 are almost complete, the Russian Defense Ministry announced.

Along with setting the testing date for Poseidon, Russia also announced plans to equip this super weapon. Specifically, there will be 4 super large strategic submarines designed to carry Poseidon nuclear torpedoes preparing to enter service in the Northern Fleet and the Pacific Fleet.

It is expected that each of these large submarines will be equipped with 8 Poseidon nuclear torpedoes, meaning that the Russian Navy will soon have up to 32 of these special attack vehicles on combat duty.

In addition to the already publicized Belgorod, the nuclear-powered submarine Khabarovsk currently under construction at the Sevmash Shipyard will become one of the main carriers of the Poseidon torpedoes.

Talking about the capabilities of this special torpedo, Russian Navy Admiral Igor Katasonov revealed that when fired, Poseidon will rush towards the target at a speed of up to 200km/h - an unimaginable speed for any American underwater weapon.

However, this is not the only special thing about Poseidon because the manufacturer designed this weapon to operate at a depth of 1,000m - this is a threshold that no other American torpedo or weapon can reach to deal with.

"This torpedo can help the navy fight aircraft carriers and battle groups in any sea area, as well as destroy the enemy's coastal infrastructure," said Mr. Igor Katasonov.

Poseidon is compared to an intercontinental ballistic missile but goes underground instead of flying in the upper atmosphere. The reason it can travel such a long distance is because it is equipped with a mini nuclear reactor for almost unlimited range.

However, the admiral did not reveal details about Poseidon. Meanwhile, Russian media speculated that Russia's Poseidon unmanned underwater vehicle currently under development will be able to carry a 100Mt nuclear warhead to destroy enemy naval bases.

“It will be possible to mount different nuclear warheads on Poseidon, equivalent to the explosive yield planned to be placed on the Avangard hypersonic warhead,” the source said.

After completing the tests, Poseidon will join the Russian Navy in the period from 2019 to 2027. It is known that Poseidon was first announced in President Putin's Federal Message on March 1, 2018.