The world's longest research submarine, which is alleged as a platform for eavesdropping and nuclear weapons, has been given to the Russian Navy.
Belgorod Submarine of the Russian Navy is Suspected as a Spy
The world's longest-known submarine, which its manufacturer describes as a research vessel but which some claim is a platform for spying and nuclear weapons, has been delivered to the Russian Navy.
The biggest shipyard in the nation, Sevmash Shipyard, claims that the Belgorod was handed over to the Russian Navy earlier this month at the Severodvinsk port.
According to experts, it is based on a lengthened variant of Russia's Oscar II class guided-missile submarines, designed to ultimately house the first nuclear-armed stealth torpedoes and information collecting gear in the world.
Suppose the Belgorod successfully integrates those new capabilities into the Russian fleet. In that case, it may pave the way for a return to Cold War-era submarine battles between US and Russian subs within the next ten years.
The Belgorod's mission distinguishes it from all other nuclear-powered submarines in the Russian navy, as well as from all other nuclear submarines in operation worldwide.
According to the US Congressional Research Service (CRS), the Belgorod may only be the first of a fleet of four submarines that might be equipped with Poseidon torpedoes, two of which would be assigned to Russia's Pacific Fleet and the other two to its Northern Fleet.
The nuclear-capable Poseidon torpedoes, which can be fired from hundreds of miles distant and are intended to evade coastal defenses by moving along the sea bottom, will reportedly be carried by the sub, according to a Russian news agency.
Chinese Scientists Plans to Build a Smaller Version of Russia's Nuclear-Powered Poseidon Submarine
According to South China Morning Post, a research team in Beijing recently claimed to have completed the conceptual design for a small, affordable nuclear reactor that could send a swarm of torpedoes over the Pacific Ocean in about a week.
Chinese scientists want to create a smaller version of Russia's Poseidon autonomous submarine, the world's first known underwater drone powered by nuclear energy.
A disposable nuclear reactor would be used to launch each torpedo, which would then cruise at a speed of over 30 knots (56 km/h or 35 mph) for 200 hours before being dumped to the ocean bottom. It will then launch a conventional weapon strike using a battery. This suggests that China is not interested in using nuclear weapons.
Their design varies significantly from Poseidon in a number of respects, according to Guo Jian, the chief scientist from the China Institute of Atomic Energy.
He said that the autonomous underwater vehicle and nuclear power system might be used as a conventional force, such as an assault nuclear submarine, as opposed to a nuclear missile, because of their great flexibility and cheap cost.
Small, fast, long-range crewless underwater vehicles that may be used for surveillance, tracking, assault, and strategic strike are in increasing demand in China, Guo added. However, his team did not clarify what kinds of goals they would pursue.
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