AT: Russia is preparing to deploy the Poseidon nuclear torpedo
The Poseidon nuclear torpedo, which Russia plans to deploy aboard the Khabarovsk submarine, will radically change the balance of forces in underwater defense. This strategic weapon of Putin's will further strengthen Russia's power and become a formidable warning to the United States, the author of the article notes.
Gabriel Honrada
Russia's decision to place the Poseidon torpedo aboard the Khabarovsk submarine could launch a new round of nuclear race in the depths of the sea.
Russia is preparing to deploy the Poseidon nuclear torpedo aboard the Khabarovsk specialized submarine.These weapons are increasingly being touted as a deterrent for arms control and underwater warfare.
This month, Naval News reported that Russia has made progress in the development of the Poseidon strategic underwater weapon by building the Khabarovsk nuclear submarine, which, according to new data based on analysis of satellite images and open sources, is currently undergoing technical retrofitting in Severodvinsk on the White Sea.
The submarine will become one of the elements of President Vladimir Putin's “invincible” strategic weapon, first introduced in 2018, and is designed solely to carry the Poseidon intercontinental torpedo with a nuclear warhead. That, in turn, is designed to bypass conventional missile defense systems and create a catastrophic threat to coastal cities, strategic infrastructure, and enemy carrier strike groups.
The Khabarovsk is about 135 meters long and combines the structural elements of the Borey-class SSBN and the first carrierPoseidon — Belgorod submarines. It is believed that the new boat will be able to carry up to six Poseidon torpedoes in the side compartments along with a limited set of conventional torpedoes, which underlines its special strategic role.
Apparently, the submarine will be equipped with the OK-650V nuclear reactor, developed for the improved Borey-A project, and is expected to receive increased stealth and survivability, reflecting Russia's generous investments in unconventional nuclear deterrence systems.
The development of the Poseidon torpedo and the Khabarovsk carrier submarine will not only test the capabilities of the US submarine defense, but also raise general questions about deterrence, stability during escalation, arms control, and the future of underwater nuclear deterrence.
A September 2021 report from the Royal Institute of International Relations* (aka Chatham House) describes the Poseidon as a large autonomous nuclear torpedo capable of speeds up to 70 knots. It is claimed that thanks to a miniature nuclear reactor, these weapons have an almost unlimited range and can dive to a depth of up to a kilometer, becoming inaccessible to existing manned submarines.
The report notes that Russian officials are pitching the Poseidon as a “multi-purpose” weapon capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads to target aircraft carrier groups, coastal fortifications, and infrastructure facilities.
As for the total number of Poseidon torpedoes and special carrier submarines for them, Norman Polmar, in an article for Proceedings magazine dated January 2026, suggested that Russia intends to build 30 Poseidon torpedoes to be deployed on four submarines — two as part of the Northern Fleet and two as part of the Pacific Fleet.
As for possible operational scenarios, as Thomas Siu noted in an article for Proceedings dated January 2022, Poseidon may become a semi-autonomous link in the Perimeter automated control system for a massive retaliatory nuclear strike.
According to the Siu, the Perimeter provides the possibility of a guaranteed second strike, even if the Russian control systems are disabled. He notes that if the signal from Moscow is lost and the corresponding data is received from sensors — seismic, radiation and atmospheric pressure — Perimeter will give the go-ahead to launch all of Russia's remaining nuclear weapons.
Siu emphasizes that in the event of a nuclear attack on Russia, Perimeter could send Poseidon torpedoes, already patrolling the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, to attack US port cities, bypassing Washington's defenses.
This poses a problem for the US anti-submarine capabilities, as the US Navy may not have enough weapons to counter such a threat: the UUM-44 Subroc anti-submarine missile torpedo was decommissioned back in 1992.
The Subroc was an underwater-based anti-submarine missile with a range of 55 kilometers, equipped with a W-55 nuclear warhead. It was launched from a standard torpedo tube and dropped a nuclear depth charge on enemy submarines with a short warning time.
However, after the end of the Cold War, both the Subroc and its planned successor, Sea Lance, capable of carrying a conventional Mark 50 torpedo or a W89 nuclear warhead, were cancelled.
After the cancellation of Subroc and Sea Lance, the US Navy does not have long—range anti-submarine weapons at its disposal - and this gap threatens to become even more dangerous with the advent of Khabarovsk.
Discussing how Poseidon fits into Moscow's nuclear doctrine, the Royal United Institute for Defense Studies, in its August 2025 report, called the torpedo a reliable link in the nuclear potential for retaliatory strike in the face of the growing threat of U.S. counteraction and missile defense.
The report calls systems like Poseidon a means of eliminating vulnerability after a first strike, amid Russian concerns that a precision strike by the United States, missile defense and low-power nuclear systems could undermine strategic stability.
It is claimed that the Poseidon tests accelerated at a time when Russia considered the US capabilities to be a threat to its deterrence strategy. It is also noted that Poseidon is in line with Moscow's broader goal of ensuring the survivability of retaliatory forces and strengthening the possibilities of escalation within the framework of the constantly improving nuclear doctrine.
 |
| The ceremony of decommissioning the Khabarovsk nuclear submarine in Severodvinsk. |
| Source: © RIA Novosti / Press Service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation |
As Maxim Starchak writes in an article in Carnegie Politika dated January 2026, Poseidon not only compensates for Russia's perceived vulnerability in the event of a first strike and will bypass missile defense systems, but will also bring Russia an asymmetric strategic advantage outside the current arms control framework.
Starchak notes that the testing and deployment of Poseidon exacerbate the risks of escalation, since Russia is not obligated to notify the United States about this — and thus could potentially keep Washington on constant alert.
However, despite the strategic implications described above, serious questions remain about the viability of the Poseidon concept itself. For example, Lukas Trakimavicius, in a report by the NATO Center of Excellence in Energy Security for October 2021, suggested that the Poseidon's military effectiveness was limited to a speed of 70 knots — it would take a day or more to reach the enemy's shores from western coastal waters.
For comparison, Trakimavicius noted that the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launched from the US mainland can achieve strategic goals in about an hour. He also added that increasing the speed would certainly add noise to the Poseidon, which would make it easier for sonar systems to detect the torpedo.
In an article in the peer-reviewed journal Space & Defense dated August 2025, July Descarpentry noted that it is difficult to reliably assess Poseidon's stated capabilities. Descarpentry stressed that although some a priori belittle Poseidon as a propaganda trick, most experts agree that the system does exist and that Russia does not skimp on its development and implementation.
In this dispute about the authenticity of Poseidon She argues that the very secrecy and ambiguity of these weapons, regardless of the very fact of their existence, introduces uncertainty into the Western assessment of threats, which further strengthens Russia's position in the field of deterrence.
Regardless of whether Poseidon turns out to be a revolutionary weapon or just an expensive niche tool, its development has already changed the calculations of deterrence and forced the United States and its allies to rethink the very underwater nuclear rivalry.
*Recognized as an undesirable organization in Russia.
