Poseidon Torpedo - Russia’s Nuclear Submarine Weapon?
Transcript
News about Russia and the nuclear arms race is so 1960’s, but unfortunately many of the factors of the Cold War are still with us today. Today we’re looking at a nuclear weapon developed by the Russians for the purpose of making sure every other country in the world is aware of Russia’s ability to strike.
Most nuclear weapons are launched by missile or bomb and strike ground-based targets from the air, making them susceptible to tracking and intercept by various missile defense systems. Russia’s 2M39 Poseidon system, however, seems to be a totally new approach which threatens conventional nuclear defense paradigms. Russia’s Ministry of Defense has released a very short video demonstrating a test launch of this autonomous underwater vehicle, which honestly doesn’t show much at all. That’s likely because the video was intended to be a proof of concept and warning to various governments around the world, especially the US.
The Poseidon torpedo was first reported on in 2015 under the name “Status-6” when its picture was leaked on Russian national television. US Intelligence later concluded that the leak was intentional as a means of deterrence or intimidation. But what makes this device so scary?
The Poseidon, although referred to as a torpedo, could almost be thought of as an autonomous submarine, albeit one with the capability of nuclear self-destruction. It’s assumed to have a low-powered nuclear reactor which provides its own energy and gives it an estimated range of 10,000 kilometers, or 6,200 miles. Everything about the design of the Poseidon indicates that it is focused on stealth, and when operating in low-speed stealth mode would be incredibly difficult to detect and intercept. Although it might take several weeks, the torpedo could make its way almost anywhere in the world and strike coastal port cities with little chance of being detected.
Some theorize further that the torpedo could be launched not only from a submarine, but that a seabed launch may also be possible. In this circumstance, the torpedoes could be placed on the ocean floor in a dormant state and activated at a later time. Russian websites report that the Ice-breaking ship Zvezdochka is being used in the testing and recovery of prototype test vehicles. This, along with images purporting to show the Poseidon and a lift and recovery system for the torpedo onboard the research ship Akademic Aleksandrov, have led some to believe that ships with such crane systems could be used for planting and retrieval of the torpedoes.
Additionally, Russian state media seems to indicate that the Poseidon is a multi-role attack platform. In addition to its ability to strike coastal cities, there are some reports that the torpedoes might also be used to attack carrier battle groups. Carrier groups are one of the most important and powerful naval assets available, providing an overwhelming amount of firepower as well as coordination and support. Naturally, taking one out would be a severe blow to any military power. However, some experts have expressed doubt that the Poseidon would actually be practical in an anti-ship capacity.
In terms of power, the exact yield of the nuclear charge is not officially known. Early estimates placed it as high as 100 megatons, a truly immense blast, and there were concerns that it might even be capable of causing massive tsunamis which would themselves be massively irradiated. More recent estimates have placed the charge as low as 2 megatons, which is still roughly 130 times as powerful as the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Blast power aside, it’s speculated that the Poseidon employs a Cobalt bomb which would lead to large amounts of radiation persisting for years in the affected area.
It’s reported that Russia will build a total of 30 Poseidon torpedoes and at least 4 submarines which are capable of carrying six torpedoes each. Many analysts agree that the Poseidon is not intended as a first-strike weapon, but as a second-strike or retaliatory response. Combined with a fair amount of media presentation and posturing from Putin, it’s reasonable to perceive this as a weapon of last resort and a very visible deterrent. It’s a very visible threat that even if an adversary pulls off a successful pre-emptive strike, nearly undetectable nuclear bombs will be on their way to shore cities to literally salt the earth with cobalt radiation.
In a world where having the bigger stick is a really good way to ensure national defense, major players have created weapons which are too terrible to actually be used without bringing about an apocalyptic end-state for all involved. Although the optimist in me would like to hope that we will at least back off of the nuclear ledge when seeking firepower, I’m more inclined to believe that the road we walk will continue to be a balance beam of deterrence versus defense capability.
Before I leave off for the day, I want to give a huge mention to H.I. Sutton at Covert Shores. Sutton is well-noted in the area of defense research, especially focused on naval topics. Although I pulled from multiple sources in researching this topic, I ran into Sutton’s writings on way more websites than I expected and I referred to his own website many times for help with specifications, references, and pictures. I will leave a link in the description and I definitely recommend you check it out if you have any interest at all in military naval technology.
That’s all for now, I hope you learned something from this video or at least enjoyed it. As you all probably know by now, likes, dislikes, and comments are a great way to help out the channel, as is checking out my other videos and playlists on my channel page. Until next time, it’s been a pleasure as always. Thank you.
