Belgorod Sub To Be 1st To Carry Poseidon Nuclear-Powered Drone

A modernized Russian Oscar II-class nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine will be the first vessel equipped with the new Poseidon nuclear-capable unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), reports Russia’s Tass news agency.

The Belgorod is scheduled to be launched at the Sevmash shipyard later this year and will be able to carry six Poseidon UUVs, said a Russian industry source. The submarine will undergo further testing before entering service in 2020.

The second planned carrier of the drone, the Project 09851 submarine Khabarovsk, is expected to be launched in the spring of 2020 and will enter service in 2022, the source said.

The Poseidon reportedly has an unlimited range capability and operational depth of more than 3,280 feet (1,000 m); can reach speeds greater than 125 mph (200 km/h); and is capable of carrying both a conventional and nuclear warhead.

Equipped with a nuclear warhead with a yield of up to 2 megatons, the Poseidon could be used to destroy naval bases, sources said.

The UUV has completed a full cycle of bench tests, including of its nuclear propulsion system, and trials at sea ranges, a navy official said last month.