Russia readies new nuclear-powered unmanned underwater vehicle for sea trials

Russian nuclear-powered unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), also known as the Poseidon, is poised to begin sea trials, an industry source has confirmed to news agency TASS.

“The successful tests of Poseidon’s nuclear-powered energy unit opened the way to conducting at-sea factory tests of the vehicle. The tests will begin in favorable weather conditions this summer,” a source told TASS.

In late December last year, a defense industry source also told that the testing of the UUV’s nuclear power unit was underway at sea at the moment. The source noted that the reactor had been mounted on the hull of the operating vehicle.

“During the at-sea trials of the unmanned vehicle’s power unit, the previously declared specifications of its unlimited range of use and speed of over 200 kmph were confirmed,” he said, according to news agency TASS.

For reference, the news agency early quoted a source in the Russian defense industry as saying that two Poseidon-carrying submarines are expected to enter service with the Northern Fleet and the other two will join the Pacific Fleet. Each of the submarines will carry a maximum of eight drones and, therefore, the total number of Poseidons on combat duty may reach 32 vehicles.

Additionally, was reported that the maximum speed of the Poseidon drone will be more than 107 kt (200 km/h), the maximum depth at which it can move is more than one kilometer. For comparison, the maximum speed of modern nuclear submarines is 32 kt, torpedoes – 48 kt.