'Doomsday Weapon': Advanced Russian Drones to Be Test-Launched From Nuclear Sub, Report Says

12:36 GMT, 12 February 2021

Oleg Burunov

The state-of-the-art Poseidon drones can be equipped with both conventional and nuclear weapons, which enable them to hit a wide range of targets, including aircraft carrier groups, coastal fortifications, and infrastructure.

Sputnik

Preparations to test the underwater drone Poseidon aboard a Russian Project 09852 nuclear-powered submarine named Belgorod are underway, the Russian newspaper Izvestia reports.

The submarine is expected to be the first experimental carrier of the top-notch Poseidon drones, which were described by the US magazine National Interest last year as "the ultimate doomsday weapon".

The Izvestia report comes after Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu announced the successful completion of Poseidon's sea range tests involving a diesel-driven submarine.

'Doomsday Weapon': Advanced Russian Drones to Be Test-Launched From Nuclear Sub, Report Says

The announcement followed Mikhail Budnichenko, Director General of the Russian shipbuilding company Sevmash, telling reporters about tests on the submarine Belgorod in early January 2021.

The tests were conducted amid reports that the Russian Navy is due to receive about 30 Poseidon unmanned underwater vehicles by 2027.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin unveiled the Poseidon in 2018, touting it as one of half a dozen new strategic systems meant to ensure Russia's ability to respond in the event of nuclear aggression by the US or its allies.

According to the president, the underwater drone is capable of travelling at great depths, has an intercontinental range, and can reach speeds several times greater than most submarines and modern torpedoes.