| 2M39 Poseidon | |
|---|---|
 The Poseidon torpedo, with classified propulsion system censored | |
| Type | Nuclear-powered, nuclear-armedUUV |
| Place of origin | Russia |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Russia |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Rubin Design Bureau and other defence industrial enterprises of Russian Federation |
| Designed | 2015 |
| Produced | 2023 – present |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | Up to 100 metric tons |
| Length | Up to 20 m (65.6 ft) |
| Diameter | Up to 2 m |
| Blast yield | Speculated to be 2Mt or more[1]: 24 [2][3] |
| Engine | Liquid metal reactor At least 15 MW |
| Transmission | Electric transmission |
Operational range | Unlimited |
| Maximum depth | Up to 1,000 meters (3280 ft)[4] |
| Maximum speed | Up to 100 knots (185 km/h / 115 MPH)[citation needed] |
Guidance system | GLONASS satellite guidance, alsoAI guidance |
Launch platform | Submarine |
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Poseidon Oceanic Multipurpose System onYouTube // | |
| Field tests of the Poseidon complex onYouTube // |
ThePoseidon (Russian:Посейдон, "Poseidon",GRAU index2M39,NATO reporting nameKanyon), previously known by Russian codenameStatus-6 (Russian:Статус-6), is an autonomous, nuclear-poweredunmanned underwater vehicle reportedly in production byRubin Design Bureau, capable of delivering both conventional and nuclearwarheads.[1][5][6] The Poseidon is one of thesix new Russian nuclear weapons announced by Russian presidentVladimir Putin on 1 March 2018.[7]
On 10 November 2015, a page of a document that contained information about a secret "oceanic multi-purpose system" called "Status-6" was "accidentally" revealed by RussianNTV television channel. The leak happened during Russian presidentVladimir Putin's speech denouncing American plans concerning "defensive" missile technology.[8] TheCIA has claimed the leak was intentional.[8]
According to the Pentagon,Russia conducted the first test-launch of Poseidon on 27 November 2016, using theB-90Sarov special purpose submarine. The test was reportedly carried out in theArctic Ocean.[9][10]
In early 2018, the Pentagon'sNuclear Posture Review publicly acknowledged development of Russia's "new intercontinental, nuclear armed, nuclear-powered, undersea autonomous torpedo".[11][12][13][14] The system was officially named "Poseidon", following a public vote in March of the same year.[15]
By January 2019, theRussian Navy announced plans to procure at least 30 Poseidon uncrewed underwater vehicles, deployed on four submarines, two of which would serve in the RussianNorthern Fleet and two in thePacific Fleet.[16] The following month, Russian president Vladimir Putin declared that the key stage of trials of the system had been completed.[17] This was followed by a video from the Russian Defence Ministry on 20 February, showing a Poseidon being test-launched by aB-90Sarov special purpose submarine.[18]
In early 2023 the first batch of the weapons had reportedly been manufactured, although some sources criticized the lack of an official confirmation or announcement from the Russian government.[19][20][21]
In October 2025, Putin said that a Poseidon weapon had been successfully tested.[22][23]
The Poseidon is intended to serve as response toU.S. withdrawal from theABM treaty and to increase the Russian capability to overcome the U.S.missile defense systems,[1]: 25 [24][2][3] such asanti-ballistic missiles, etc.
The Poseidon warhead can contaminate a large area with radiation. For this purpose, the Poseidon is speculated to be equipped with acobalt bomb.[25][26] The Poseidon could be aradiologicalsecond strike weapon.[27][28]
Normal (notsalted) thermonuclear weapons causeradioactive fallout primarily throughneutron activation of material at the detonation site. Unless the detonation happens at low depths in shallow waters, an underwater detonation will have its fallout greatly reduced, except for at the surface immediately above, near the base surge. Much of the radioactivity will be deposited in the sea, and be carried by ocean currents.[29] Water (and air) will not form radioisotopes suitable for radiological warfare when neutron activated, however the seawater-salt will, and the seabed may.[citation needed]
If used against anaircraft carrier battle group, the battle group would have reduced chances of defending itself against it. The drone could detonate its very large warhead at standoff range, andanti-submarine warfare units would have very little time to react because of the speed at which it is speculated to travel.[30]
The Poseidon appears to be a torpedo-shaped robotic mini-submarine which can travel at speeds of 185 km/h (100 kn).[27][28][31] More recent information suggests a top speed of 100 km/h (54 kn), with a range of 10,000 km (5,400 nmi; 6,200 mi) and a depth maximum of 1,000 m (3,300 ft).[32]
Typical depth of the drone may be about 50–100 meters (160–330 ft) for increased stealth features in low-speed stealth mode. Low depth in stealth mode is preferred because sound waves move to ocean floor and reduce radius of detection. Submarines use the same strategy insilent running mode.[33]
It is 1.6–2 metres (5–7 ft) in diameter and 24 metres (80 ft) long.[34]
Most likely,[according to whom?] the high-strength body of the device is made oftitanium alloys.[citation needed]
The National Interest compiled several unclassified defense sources fromGeneral Electric experts about the similar601B project[35][36][37] and they predicted low weight and compactgas-cooled nuclear reactor in the drone.[38] Russian submarine designers say that a low-power reactor is preferred for Poseidon because a smaller reactor is less noisy.[33]
The development includes also use ofstealth technology, to elude acoustic tracking devices.[28][33][39] Poseidon uses asilent running strategy like other submarines. Its main stealth feature is its very low speed before it reaches the target area. Its high-speed mode activates upon reaching a short finish range (2–3 kilometers), when the probability of detection of the drone is considerably higher. It could travel for weeks toward enemy port cities, reaching high-speed only in the final stage.[38]
Russian designers estimated the radius of detection of the drone will be about 2–3 km (1.2–1.9 mi) if travelling at 55 km/h (34 mph).[33] A second important stealth feature of the drone is the special design of thepump-jet for clearance of the drone'sacoustic signature to imitate the noise of civil ships.[33]
| Speed of the drone (km/h) | Detection range (km) |
|---|---|
| 37 | 1.7 |
| 55 | 3 |
| 74 | 29 |
| 93 | 43 |
A U.S. intelligence officer toldCNBC that the Poseidon is difficult to detect and difficult to target in stealth mode.[40]
Poseidon is a family of drones, some of which are designed only for destroying coastal cities and thus rely on "stealth" capabilities rather than on high speed,[33] others of which are primarily designed to attackcarrier battle groups[30] and were claimed to possibly harnesssupercavitation, like theVA-111 Shkval torpedo, to attain extremely high speeds (higher than 195 kn (361 km/h; 224 mph)) in attack mode.[41][42] However, supercavitation devices have not been observed on the available footage of Poseidon.[43] The Pentagon estimates maximum speed of the Poseidon to be about 56 kn (104 km/h; 64 mph) without the supercavitation option.[44]
The two ships speculated to carry the Poseidon are the Project 09852modified Oscar-class submarineBelgorod and the Project 09851Khabarovsk submarines.[28][34][45][46]Oscar-class submarines could carry six Poseidon torpedoes at the same time for a total yield of up to 12-600megatons.[47][48]
According to some reports, Poseidon may have a seabed or mobile site launch option. In this configuration, known asSkif (Скиф) and patented by designer Alexander Shalnev,[49] Poseidon can be staged on the sea floor in a special container as long as necessary. Russian auxiliary vesselsZvezdochka (Project 20180) andAkademik Aleksandrov (Project 20183), both of which featureice-breaking capabilities, are involved in testing of Poseidon drones, indicating that these ships may be used as platforms for deploying and retrieving such a seabed version.[50][51]
In 2022, Russian domestic TV said Poseidon will be able to "plungeBritain into the depths of the sea".[52][53] According to Russian claims, the Poseidon Torpedo may initiate a 500 m high tsunami.[54]
Various sources disregard these claims by pointing out the difference between a potential wave generated by the weapon and a naturally occurring tsunami. Large tsunamis are usually directed along one path, whereas an undersea explosion causes a wave to spread in 360°, which attenuates more rapidly with distance than a unidirectional wave does. As a comparison, the energy release that caused the2011 Japan Tsunami was 163,000 times larger thanTsar Bomba, the upper estimate of Poseidon's possible power.[55]
Following the Russian president Vladimir Putin's statements during his presentation of several new Russian super-weapons[56][57] in March 2018, in which he specifically referenced the Poseidon as a weapon which could also target American port cities, U.S. Defense SecretaryJames Mattis stated Russia already had the potential capability of targeting certain port cities on the American coastline with missiles, and said thus Poseidon "does not change at all the strategic balance".[58]
Russia is also developing at least two new intercontinental range systems, a hypersonic glide vehicle and a new intercontinental, nuclear-armed undersea autonomous torpedo.
Media related to2M39 Poseïdon at Wikimedia Commons