"It will be possible to mount various nuclear charges on the 'torpedo' of the Poseidon multipurpose seaborne system, with the thermonuclear single warhead similar to the Avangard charge to have the maximum capacity of up to 2 megatonnes in TNT equivalent," a source in the Russian defense sector told TASS on Thursday.With the drone's nuclear munition, the underwater craft "is primarily designed to destroy reinforced naval bases of a potential enemy," the source explained.
"Thanks to its nuclear power plant, the Poseidon will approach the target for an intercontinental range at a depth of over 1 km and at a speed of 60-70 knots (110-130 km/h)," another source revealed to TASS.
Meanwhile, TASS explains to its readers, "it has no official confirmation of this information," however, being a government-owned corporation in Russia, it is likely this knowledge is coming from insiders to combat an informational war with the West.
Another unnamed source supposedly tied in with the Russian defense sector said, "the Poseidon drone will join the Russian Navy under the existing armament program for 2018-2027 and will be carried by a newly specialized submarine currently under construction at the Sevmash Shipyard."
Russian President Vladimir Putin first unveiled the underwater drone during his state-of-the-nation speech in March to the Federal Assembly. Putin warned these drones could be armed with both conventional and nuclear munitions and would be capable of "destroying enemy infrastructure, carrier-led naval task forces, and other objectives."
"Efforts to contain Russia have failed, face it," Putin declared in a two-hour speech to the nation, which included computer simulations of new arms including hypersonic systems, intercontinental missiles, and underwater nuclear drones.
According to Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Sergei Korolyov, the drone's miniature nuclear power plant has successfully passed operational tests with the military. The chief naval commander said the new weapon system would "enable the fleet to accomplish a broad range of missions in waters adjacent to the enemy territory."
In recent times, Putin has led an ambitious modernization program of its military in acquiring new weapon systems, which could be just enough leverage to ensure a rebalancing of power between Washington. On Tuesday, Putin stressed that Russia was forced to develop new weapons to guarantee a "strategic balance in the world for the next decades."
This is more bad news for Washington, as it appears their strategy to contain Russia through sanctions and expanded NATO deterrence operations along the Russia border have not just failed but backfired. In response, Putin was forced to develop a wide array of new weapon systems that can bypass NATO's defenses, including hypersonic weapons, and what we recently discovered: nuclear-powered underwater drones capable of unleashing significant tsunamis against enemy naval ports.
While TASS does not define who exactly the "enemy" is, we must add, it is the United States. War is knocking on Washington's door, will the Trump administration entertain its new guest?
Comment: If there's one thing the U.S. is good at, it is turning potential friends into enemies. If there's one thing Russia's good at, it is making sure its enemies never have the upper hand, while always leaving the door open for reconciliation. So ask yourself, who would you trust with the preservation of civilization?