President Vladimir Putin has unveiled a submarine capable of carrying six thermonuclear warheads on Tuesday ahead of its deployment in 2020-2021.
Russia’s naval submarine called “Belgorod” will be the world’s longest submarine ever built, measuring 184 meters, The Barents Observer has estimated. The Belgorod will be able to carry six underwater “Poseidon” drones, the state-run TASS news agency reported.
“Together, we will inevitably maximize Russia’s status as a great naval power,” Putin said in St. Petersburg ahead of the ceremony at a shipyard 1,000 kilometers further north in Severodvinsk.
Construction of the Belgorod will continue on the water following factory and state tests next year, and is set to be deployed by the end of 2020, TASS reported.
Putin has previously said the Poseidon submarine drone missile system was set to be launched this spring.
Each of these drones is capable of carrying nuclear warheads weighing up to two megatons. Their operational depth is 1,000 meters, making them difficult to intercept.