The submarine Belgorod left port in Sevmarsh plant, northwestern Russia carrying its payload, which are actually drones designed to cause tsunami that could inundate coastal cities. Mikhail Budnichenko, director of the shipyard, said during the launch ceremony that “the enterprise’s shipbuilders will fulfill all the tasks of building ships within the established timeframe and with high quality.” The submarine is not complete but the remainder of the work shall be conducted whilst it is afloat.
Russian news agency TASS quoted a defense source saying the nuclear reactor will be tested later this year, with sea trials set for 2020 and deployment by the end of that year.
President Putin first mentioned the nuclear-powered drone among an array of other new weapons in a state-of-the nation address last year, saying they would render U.S. missile defense systems useless.
Whilst the drones resemble conventional torpedoes they are much larger, measuring up to 79ft long, and must therefore be carried by special submarines.
Once launched, the weapon can be controlled remotely to bypass defences and has a theoretically unlimited range thanks to its nuclear reactor engine.
Reports on its speed have varied, putting it as low as 70mph and as high as 124mph, making it very difficult to stop.
The weapons can even operate as unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) capable of mapping out the ocean floor.
They could also sabotage underwater telecoms and internet cable during conflict.
The submarine’s commanders will communicate directly with President Putin rather than the country’s top naval officials in an unsettling subversion of the status quo.
The Belgorod is expected to operate in the Arctic and the North Atlantic – areas where Russian submarine activity has increased tenfold in recent years. There has also be a huge rise in Russian approaches to UK territorial waters.
In 2010, the Royal Navy had to respond to only one intrusion, but in 2017, 33 separate incidents required a response by British ships or submarines.
The Navy is developing its own fleet of UUVs, but they are not expected to enter service for another eight years, according to sources.