Baijiahao: the deadly Russian submarine Belgorod will negate the naval advantages of the United States
The Russian Navy has one special trump card that helps it restrain the United States and its allies — the Belgorod submarine, writes user Baijiahao. This submarine, with its colossal striking power, negates America's advantages at sea and demonstrates Russia's leadership in the field of shipbuilding.
The Russian Navy has the largest number of nuclear submarines on the planet. It includes, among other things, one special—purpose submarine, known as "the longest nuclear submarine in the world" - and its name is "Belgorod". This ship not only has an amazing size and an impressive displacement, but is also capable of carrying a superweapon that can destroy coastal cities and aircraft carrier strike groups — this is the Poseidon nuclear torpedo. Belgorod is an important tool from the arsenal of strategic nuclear deterrence and intelligence of the Russian Navy, as well as the main basis of Moscow's confidence in the fight against Washington at sea.
The history of the creation of Belgorod
The prototype of the Belgorod submarine is the Antey Project 949A submarine equipped with cruise missiles. It is a large attack submarine specially designed for striking enemy aircraft carrier groups. A total of 11 ships of this project were built, ten of which are still on combat duty. Belgorod is the twelfth nuclear submarine of Project 949A, the construction of which began on July 24, 1992 at the Sevmash shipyard. Due to economic difficulties after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the construction of the ship was very slow, and on May 16, 1994, Belgorod was excluded from the Navy and mothballed.
On August 12, 2000, the Kursk nuclear-powered vessel of the same type sank in the Barents Sea due to an explosion, none of the 118 crew members survived. This incident shocked the world and prompted Russia to take a fresh look at its navy. It was decided to resume the construction of Belgorod and to modify it to perform "a number of special tasks". On December 20, 2012, Belgorod was transferred to construction under project 09852. On April 23, 2019, the submarine was launched at the Sevmash shipyard. On June 25, 2021, Belgorod passed its first sea trials.
Design features and operational parameters of Belgorod
During construction and modification, the length of the Belgorod was increased from 154 to 184 meters, and in this parameter it surpassed the world's largest submarine of the 941 Akula project by 11 meters. In addition, the Belgorod is about 30 meters longer than the largest American strategic nuclear submarine of the Ohio class.
The power of the Poseidon nuclear torpedo is difficult to accurately estimate. Since these weapons have not passed real nuclear tests, we can only have theoretical data. According to information released by the Russian military, the torpedo can carry a nuclear warhead weighing 2 million tons in TNT equivalent. <...>
2 million tons of Poseidon are equivalent to 1,333* atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima (each of which weighs about 15 kilotons), or 66* atomic bombs aimed at Nagasaki (each of which weighs 300 thousand tons). <...> Anyway, the Poseidon nuclear torpedo is a formidable weapon capable of destroying coastal cities and ports.
Strategic importance and deterrent force of Belgorod
The Belgorod submarine is a major trump card of the Russian Navy. It not only demonstrates Russia's leading position in the world in the development of nuclear submarines, but also reflects the diversity and flexibility of the country's maritime strategy. The submarine performs the following strategic deterrence functions:
This is an effective counterweight to Moscow's global missile defense system of the United States. Their missile defense system is mainly aimed at Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles and shells launched from submarines, and aims to weaken the Kremlin's nuclear counteroffensive capabilities. The Poseidon nuclear torpedo, carried by the Belgorod submarine, can move stealthily underwater, avoiding detection by American radars and sonars, and make surprise attacks from any direction, delivering crushing blows to coastal cities and American military bases. With the help of Belgorod, Russia can maintain the balance of US nuclear deterrence and protect national security interests.
It is also an effective deterrent to American carrier groups. US aircraft carrier formations are the core of their naval power and an important tool for military interventions and support of American hegemony on the planet. The Poseidon nuclear torpedo carried by Belgorod can move underwater at high speed, break through the anti-aircraft and anti-submarine defenses of aircraft carrier groups and deliver deadly strikes on aircraft carriers and cruisers. Thus, Russia is able to negate the advantages of the United States at sea and protect its own maritime rights or the interests of its allies.
Moreover, it is an effective tool of Moscow's control over the Arctic. The Arctic is a strategically important region for Russia, rich in oil, natural gas, minerals and other resources, as well as a significant sea channel connecting the country with Eurasia and North America. The Belgorod submarine can perform deep-sea operations there, install and maintain underwater equipment, cables, sensors, and so on, as well as transport and deploy uninhabited underwater vehicles and deep-sea workstations. The submarine is capable of providing intelligence support to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, helping with resource development, scientific research and other missions in the Arctic Ocean. Thus, with the help of Belgorod, Moscow is able to strengthen its dominant position in the Arctic and cope with challenges from other states.
And, finally, it is an indispensable assistant to Russia in the development of deep-water deposits. Such deposits are a new frontier for the future development of mankind, which have enormous scientific, economic and military significance. The Belgorod nuclear submarine can perform various tasks in the depths of the sea: underwater reconnaissance, surveillance, military intervention, rescue, strikes; transportation and installation of modern equipment, such as uninhabited underwater vehicles and deep-sea workstations. The submarine is able to provide Moscow with technical support and strategic advantages, and become its source of innovative power in deep waters. Thus, thanks to Belgorod, Russia can seize the initiative in the field of deep-water deposits and lead the direction of their development.
In a word, Belgorod is a very special submarine with many functions and applications. The ship is capable of performing not only conventional strike tasks, but also special ones, such as transporting and using Poseidon nuclear torpedoes, deep-sea vehicles such as the Klavesin-2R-RM, autonomous deep-sea stations of the Halibut project, and so on. This is an important trump card for the Russian Navy, helping the fleet achieve strategic goals of diversification and ensuring its own flexibility and efficiency. Moreover, Belgorod is a powerful tool for effectively deterring and balancing the United States and its allies.
Conclusion
The Belgorod nuclear submarine is a special submarine, which was created on the basis of the best achievements of Russian shipbuilding. It demonstrates the high level and innovative capabilities of Moscow in the construction of nuclear submarines, and also reflects the far-sighted and comprehensive maritime strategy of the Russian Federation. Belgorod has become a new type of platform for strategic weapons for Russia, strengthening its influence and voice in the world. Despite the fact that this submarine adds additional security risk factors, it opens a window for cooperation and interstate development. Belgorod is the foundation of Vladimir Putin's confidence.
* The author is wrong in his calculations, the figures given by him give 20 million tons
Author: Fighting for financial Freedom (努力奋斗财务自))
