This week, the illegitimate president of the aggressor country, Russia, Vladimir Putin, boasted that Russia had tested the Poseidon nuclear super torpedo, which is invulnerable and more powerful than a nuclear missile. This is the second announcement in a week about Russian testing of weapons systems capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
A few days earlier, Russia announced the test of a new nuclear-powered cruise missile, the Burevestnik, which particularly angered US President Donald Trump, the newspaper writes. After the tests, he instructed the Pentagon to begin testing nuclear weapons “on equal terms” with Russia and China.
Both the Burevestnik and Poseidon are part of the line of Russian “superweapons” unveiled by Putin in 2018. During Putin's presentation, one of the mock-up videos showed a missile trajectory that pointed to Florida as a target. “Poseidon” is presented by Russia as a revolutionary weapon capable of destroying entire countries and devastating the coasts of the Russian Federation's opponents, the publication notes.
The Poseidon is designed for stealthy underwater travel to destroy critical coastal infrastructure, such as naval bases and ports, using “radiation tsunamis,” the publication says. The missile is 21 meters long, too long for Russia's largest submarines, and requires a special submarine to launch it.
However, experts are skeptical. Experts note that the idea of causing a “radiation tsunami” is unscientific: Soviet research showed that large waves quickly dissipate on the shelf and do not lead to the expected effect. Analysts also recall that in terms of combat capabilities, Poseidon is closer to a means of deterrence than to a practical offensive tool. Its main goal is intimidation, experts say.
“Poseidon” both carries a nuclear warhead and is equipped with its own nuclear reactor, thanks to which it is capable of covertly passing the ocean to almost any distance, said Michael Petersen, a leading researcher in the program for studying Russia's military potential at the Center for Naval Analysis. Because of this, it is called a hybrid – something between a giant torpedo and an autonomous underwater drone. Technical details remain unclear – about the guidance system, communication channels and the real speed of the device (the media called 60-100 knots, but for stealth it will probably go slower).
According to Carnegie Endowment Fellow Nicole Grajewski, Poseidon represents less a technological revolution than a “preservation of a concept.” Pro-Kremlin commentators openly highlight the symbolism of Poseidon's theoretical capabilities, saying it would be most effective against countries such as the US and UK, the article says.
“Rather than serving a combat function, it is designed to force the enemy to retreat in the face of the threat of its use,” Petersen said. According to him, Russia may decide to use it, but by that time global strategic war will either have already been deployed or will remain the only option.
Context
On October 29, Putin made another nuclear statement during a visit to a military hospital in Moscow. In front of an audience of wounded Russian soldiers, he reported the successful testing a new “invincible” weapon – the Poseidon torpedopowered by a nuclear engine.
Previously, Putin announced the successful launch of the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile, capable of flying extremely long distances thanks to nuclear fuel.
Commenting on the Burevestnik tests, Trump said that the US nuclear submarine is located near the Russian coast. “They don't play with us, neither do we We don’t play with them,” the American leader emphasized.
The Center for Combating Disinformation (CPD) under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine noted that Moscow began “nuclear intimidation of the West” against the background of imitation of Russia’s readiness for peace negotiations on the war started in Ukraine.
On October 30, US Vice President J.D. Vance said that America needs to test nuclear weapons, to ensure the integrity of the American nuclear arsenal.
