The new Belgorod submarine is formally designed to solve scientific problems and rescue operations, but among its equipment there is also the most unusual thermonuclear weapon ever created.
Today, July 8, 2022, the transfer of the submarine K-329 Belgorod, built in Severodvinsk, to the Russian navy took place. The submarine of project 09852 is a "special purpose" boat, so there is extremely little open data about it. This is reported by its manufacturer, the Sevmash plant
"The Belgorod submarine opens up new opportunities for Russia to conduct various research, allows for diverse scientific expeditions and rescue operations in the most remote areas of the World's oceans," Navy Commander—in-Chief Nikolai Evmenov said at the ceremony.
Belgorod is the longest submarine in world history: it has 184 meters, although on the basis of some satellite images, assumptions have been made about a longer length. The probable width is 18.2 meters, the underwater displacement is 30 thousand tons. The total capacity of the two on-board water-water nuclear reactors OK—650 is 380 thermal megawatts (electrical power is not fully clear).
There are very few photos of the boat, and the screws are carefully closed on all of them. It is claimed that they will be particularly low—noise, and, apparently, this is due to their shape - hence the secrecy around Belgorod. Also, the boat should be able to carry autonomous deep-sea devices of the "Halibut" type and, allegedly, block reactors for the "Shelf" system. The latter, according to information from open sources, is intended for robotic underwater sonar stations of ultra-long range.
But the most unusual feature of the boat is its ability to carry up to six Poseidons. Not everything is known about this weapon either. From the reliable: this is a torpedo with a nuclear reactor on board and a diameter of 1600 millimeters. Due to the reactor, it has an unlimited range, the stroke depth is indicated up to a kilometer. However, in some publications of the foreign press it is claimed that the depth of immersion will be unlimited .
From the debated: the maximum speed of the torpedo is unclear. The reactor allows it to be very large, but from the point of view of stealth, it would be more logical to limit the speed of travel. Such a small underwater object at the speed of a conventional submarine will be almost impossible to detect by modern sonar means. It has been suggested that the device will have two modes: quiet running and fast, if necessary, jerk before attacking the target.
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It is not entirely clear which nuclear reactor Belgorod carries on board. In theory, it can be either lead-bismuth or sodium-potassium. In any case, it should be liquid metal, since it is quite difficult to place other types of reactors in such a limited volume.
The power of the thermonuclear warhead on board the Poseidons is unclear. However, apparently, it may be larger than conventional ICBM warheads, since among the features of this weapon is the ability to create a tsunami of unusually high altitude.
From a technical point of view, the Poseidons look somewhat redundant. There are no interception facilities on Earth today for the latest generation of Russian Sarmat ICBMs with Avangard hypersonic gliding combat units. Why at the same time create also non—interceptable — due to low noise - torpedoes with unlimited range, it is not entirely clear.
Perhaps we are talking about the reinsurance of the Russian side, trying to reduce in case the enemy has some particularly serious means of missile defense based on future technologies that have not yet been mastered by mankind.
