Russian Defense Ministry has released a video of the new Poseidon nuclear-tipped underwater complex, also called super-power nuclear torpedo.
The first footage showing the new nuclear-tipped autonomous underwater complex at the test facility. The new video shows a static test of the sub, which is basically an enormous nuclear-capable torpedo.
Rudders of the large device and its propeller are moving while developers observe its performance. The most intriguing part of the drone submarine – its propeller – is blurred out.
The device is launched from a crewed submarine and travels to its target at high speeds deep underwater, which makes it nearly impossible to intercept, according to the Russian military.
“Unique characteristics of the Poseidon system will help the Navy to successfully combat aircraft carrier and strike groups of a potential adversary in any oceanic theater of war and destroy shore infrastructure facilities,” chief analyst of the General Staff, Admiral Igor Katasonov, has said.
Also early, Russian military analyst Leonid Nersisyan noted that the idea of developing giant torpedoes with a nuclear propulsion system and a powerful nuclear-tipped charge appeared in the USSR back in the 1950s, the project was called the T-15 and was actively promoted by A.D. Sakharov.
However, modern technologies have made the old concept realizable – the scheme of the “Status-6” unmanned underwater vehicle with a nuclear propulsion system was “accidentally” released at Russian media in 2015. Since then, there has been virtually no official information on it, but there have been a lot of rumors about whether the project is real or it’s just some kind of concept. Recently, the existence of the project was recognized in the report of the US Department of Defence. Now it was officially confirmed by Russian military officials.
Previously the media reported the range of new Poseidon underwater complex will be more up 10,000 km, a depth of 1 km and a cruising speed of up to 185 km/h.
