russia failed tests of its nuclear torpedo Poseidon
Can this weapon become dangerous later?
These days, the kremlin tried to dispel putin's threats to use nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine. In particular, they stated that this is possible only if the existence of russia is at stake. Almost in simultaneous with these statements was russia's attempt to test its nuclear torpedo Poseidon. However, according to US intelligence, these tests failed. The United States suggests that the russians may have encountered technical issues. What is known about the terrorist country's design as for now and whether there are any prospects for its use in the near future, military expert Mykhailo Zhyrokhov told Mind.
Since around mid-2010s, the Putin regime has turned to the option of talking to Western democracies from the "position of strength". And an important aspect in this was a "superweapon" of sort that could allegedly radically shift the balance of power in the world.
How long has Putin been announcing the new project?
In a very short time, russian President putin personally demonstrated cartoons with hypersonic missiles Zircon, nuclear torpedoes Poseidon, as well as intercontinental missiles that are supposedly capable of hitting California, passing the entire American missile defence system, and much more, at various public events.
Attempts to figure out what these are in fact – prototypes (or mass-produced samples) or just sketches by PR-guys to demonstrate that they get their salary for a reason – face a very small amount of information that penetrates "from behind the iron curtain." However, having gathered everything possible, some conclusions can still be drawn: nearly everything russian president presents as a real weapon is either a prototype, or a fake. And some "wunderwaffe" has no practical purpose at all. And a striking example here is a long-range nuclear-tipped torpedo Poseidon.
Putin first spoke about this weapon in March 2018. After some time, russian state-run media reported that the Navy had already planned to procure 32 such torpedoes,16 for the Pacific and Northern Fleets each. It was especially emphasised that Poseidons that were to be supplied to the Northern Fleet will be aimed at targets in Europe, Canada and on the East Coast of the United States, and the ones to go to the Pacific Fleet – targets in Japan, China, Canada and on the US West Coast. However, in reality, when talking about the purchase of Poseidons, russian journalists are mistaking the wish for the reality .
This project has long been known in the West under the report name Kanyon or Status 6. Moreover, in the russian media revealed it in November 2015. The name of the project is believed to be changed in 2018, and full-scale tests were to begin in 2019. That is, serial production of the torpedo is not in question, there is only a prototype with absolutely unclear properties.
However, even these are too high expectations. This is also confirmed by recent events. So, as recently as November 10, there was a report citing American officials that another test of Poseidon, which the russians intended to perform from the submarine Belgorod most likely failed.
Nuclear sub Belgorod, carrier of Poseidon
What is known about this "superweapon"?
Let's try to talk about this "putin's superweapon" by analysing available photos and videos from open sources. So, Poseidon is a craft with a propelling screw or water jet engine. What may be the maximum speed of such a weapon? The maximum that modern torpedoes can achieve is 70 knots, or 129.6 km/h. This is indeed many times faster than the speed of a nuclear submarine (30-35 knots), but compared to a ballistic warhead flying at about 8 km (but not more than) per second, it is no match. For water is 800 times denser than air, and nothing can be done with physics.
Next. Apparently, the russians want to use such torpedoes not for their intended purpose – to sink aircraft carriers or other ships, but to deliver nuclear weapons for use against ground targets in the United States. Curiously, some propagandist journalists have already begun to vividly describe how the Poseidon will explode in New York Harbour. At the same time, a real tsunami with a wave line of hundreds of kilometers will allegedly arise, washing away the russian-hated metropolis.
However, there are a lot of "buts" here – an underwater explosion of a nuclear charge does not form a "frontal" wave, but a huge splash – and waves dispersing in concentric circle manner. Moreover, the energy of such a wave declines as the square of the distance from the epicentre of the blast. That is, the city would not even feel the detonation of a 2-metre-long torpedo.
The rest is even more ridiculous. How long will it take such a torpedo to reach the target? For the sake of argument, we may estimate roughly. Say, russian admirals decided to strike the very harbour of New York from Murmansk. This is about 6,800 km, at seventy-knot speed (129.6 km/h) it will take 52 hours – more than two days.
Okay, a torpedo is launched with a nuclear charge from the traverse of nearer Iceland, from the deck of russian Navy nuclear submarine. It takes 32 hours to travel from Reykjavik. So, in case of war, the United States will have time to pound russia with its Minutemen and Tomahawks, and the russian submarine will spend a fair day (or even more) to reach the target.
Also, keep in mind that as soon as the russian vessel opens its launchers for super torpedoes and has time to fire one, it will certainly be sunk by the American submarine following at its tail.
What are the other vulnerable spots of the russian weapon?
Why is this option the most obvious one? Because russia is shamelessly behind the United States in terms of acoustics. As the events of recent years have shown – the exercises in the North Sea in particular – russian boats do not hear enemies who simply attach themselves to their stern. Moreover, the problems with the acoustic aspect have existed since the USSR-era; russians have not managed to breakthrough in this area during the post-Soviet years.
We should also remember that the Americans very tightly equipped their anti-submarine defense in the North Atlantic for many years. It includes not only ships and anti-submarine warfare aircraft, but also sonar buoys and bottom-bounce sonars. Especially reinforced is the defense along the so-called GIUK gap (Greenland – Iceland – UK). The US military monitor this part of the ocean perfectly. And, in theory, it is here where "wonder-torpedoes" should be launched. After all, they will travel two or three days to their targets from under the ice shell of the Arctic Ocean or from somewhere in the South Atlantic.
Why does putin need this story?
Well, from an unbiased point of view, it turns out that putin has revealed an "underwater monster" to the world, which, in fact, can be effectively used only for attacking US Navy aircraft carrier formations.
So why does russian president makes his country the world's butt of jokes, displaying and developing further the super torpedo?
Most likely, the whole point of developing and investing enormous funds in the Poseidon project can only be in using it as a bargaining chip when making a new arms control agreement between the US and russia; the negotiations that will start sooner or later after the previous (Soviet-era) Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty was terminated.