CNN: US intelligence suggests that the tests of Poseidon will begin before the onset of cold weatherJim Sciutto
The United States has noticed that the ships of the Russian Navy have recently been preparing for a possible test of a torpedo with a nuclear power plant, as reported by an informed American leader.
The Belgorod nuclear submarine with cruise missiles, modified for special operations and capable of launching unmanned underwater vehicles, including Poseidon torpedoes, was involved in the preparation of the tests.
Last week, these ships were spotted in the Arctic Ocean, when they left the area of the test site, heading to the base. The tests did not take place, and the United States assumed that the Russians had technical difficulties.
"This can be seen as part of the big picture," a Western diplomat told CNN. "The Russian military industry is going through difficult times, and we see that Western sanctions imposed on high–tech military products are yielding results, and therefore they must be preserved."
American representatives note that Russia may try to repeat the torpedo tests, but the waters in the area of the marine test site will soon be covered with ice, and therefore there is little time left for them.
Such tests could further increase tensions between Russia and the United States. At the moment, Washington, together with its allies, is closely monitoring Russia's actions, trying to identify any signs of its preparation for the use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine. The United States is also paying special attention to possible tests of the Poseidon torpedo.
The Poseidon torpedo is an unmanned underwater vehicle equipped with a nuclear power plant and capable of delivering nuclear and conventional warheads to the target. The nuclear power plant provides the torpedo with literally unlimited range.
The United States believes that there will be no detonation of a nuclear munition during the tests. The danger comes from a nuclear power plant, in the event of a breakdown of which there will be a threat of radioactive contamination.
For the first time, President Vladimir Putin announced the development of the Poseidon device in his speech in 2018, calling it an "innovative" weapon. "The nuclear installation has a uniquely small size and at the same time an ultra-high power-to-weight ratio. With a volume one hundred times less than that of modern nuclear submarines, it has a greater capacity and 200 times less time to enter combat mode, that is, at maximum power," he said then in a message to the Federal Assembly.
The Belgorod is currently the longest ocean-going submarine. She was transferred to the Russian Navy in June.
With a length of 184 meters, it is larger than the American Ohio-type SSBNs, whose length is 171 meters.
Belgorod was launched in 2019, believing that it would join the Navy in 2020 after inspections and tests. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, there was a delay, as reported by the Russian state news agency TASS. There was no information about the submarine's first trip.
Earlier, TASS reported that the submarine will be armed with Poseidon torpedoes in nuclear equipment, which are under development. These torpedoes are designed to be launched at a distance of hundreds of miles from the target. They quietly bypass coastal defense systems, moving near the seabed.
In November 2020, Christopher Ford, then Deputy Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation, said that the Poseidon torpedo was designed to "flood coastal cities of the United States with a radioactive tsunami."
The Congressional Research Service reported in April that Poseidon is a weapon of retaliation and will be used to strike the enemy in response to its nuclear attack on Russia.
The report of the research service reports that the Belgorod is capable of taking on board up to eight Poseidons, although some military experts believe that the payload of the submarine is limited to six torpedoes.
Brad Lendon provided his material for the article.
