Poseidon (unmanned underwater vehicle)

The Poseidon (Russian: Посейдон, "Poseidon", GRAU index 2M39, NATO reporting name Kanyon), previously known by Russian codename Status-6 (Russian: Статус-6), is an autonomous, nuclear-powered unmanned underwater vehicle reportedly in production by Rubin Design Bureau, capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear warheads. The Poseidon is one of the six new Russian nuclear weapons announced by Russian president Vladimir Putin on 1 March 2018.

History 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 Russian NTV television channel. The leak happened during Russian president Vladimir Putin's speech denouncing American plans concerning "defensive" missile technology. The CIA has claimed the leak was intentional. According to the Pentagon, Russia conducted the first test-launch of Poseidon on 27 November 2016, using the B-90 Sarov special purpose submarine. The test was reportedly carried out in the Arctic Ocean. In early 2018, the Pentagon's Nuclear Posture Review publicly acknowledged development of Russia's "new intercontinental, nuclear armed, nuclear-powered, undersea autonomous torpedo". The system was officially named "Poseidon", following a public vote in March of the same year. By January 2019, the Russian Navy announced plans to procure at least 30 Poseidon uncrewed underwater vehicles, deployed on four submarines, two of which would serve in the Russian Northern Fleet and two in the Pacific Fleet. The following month, Russian president Vladimir Putin declared that the key stage of trials of the system had been completed. This was followed by a video from the Russian Defence Ministry on 20 February, showing a Poseidon being test-launched by a B-90 Sarov special purpose submarine. 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. In October 2025, Putin said that a Poseidon weapon had been successfully tested.

Design speculation

Overview

The Poseidon is intended to serve as response to U.S. withdrawal from the ABM treaty and to increase the Russian capability to overcome the U.S. missile defense systems, such as anti-ballistic missiles, etc. The Poseidon warhead can contaminate a large area with radiation. For this purpose, the Poseidon is speculated to be equipped with a cobalt bomb. The Poseidon could be a radiological second strike weapon. Normal (not salted) thermonuclear weapons cause radioactive fallout primarily through neutron 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. Water (and air) will not form radioisotopes suitable for radiological warfare when neutron activated, however the seawater-salt will, and the seabed may. If used against an aircraft 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, and anti-submarine warfare units would have very little time to react because of the speed at which it is speculated to travel.

Specifications The Poseidon appears to be a torpedo-shaped robotic mini-submarine which can travel at speeds of 185 km/h (100 kn). 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). 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 in silent running mode. It is 1.6–2 metres (5–7 ft) in diameter and 24 metres (80 ft) long.

Body Most likely, the high-strength body of the device is made of titanium alloys.

Powerplant The National Interest compiled several unclassified defense sources from General Electric experts about the similar 601B project and they predicted low weight and compact gas-cooled nuclear reactor in the drone. Russian submarine designers say that a low-power reactor is preferred for Poseidon because a smaller reactor is less noisy.

Stealth technology

The development includes also use of stealth technology, to elude acoustic tracking devices. Poseidon uses a silent 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. 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). A second important stealth feature of the drone is the special design of the pump-jet for clearance of the drone's acoustic signature to imitate the noise of civil ships.

A U.S. intelligence officer told CNBC that the Poseidon is difficult to detect and difficult to target in stealth mode.

Supercavitation 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, others of which are primarily designed to attack carrier battle groups and were claimed to possibly harness supercavitation, like the VA-111 Shkval torpedo, to attain extremely high speeds (higher than 195 kn (361 km/h; 224 mph)) in attack mode. However, supercavitation devices have not been observed on the available footage of Poseidon. The Pentagon estimates maximum speed of the Poseidon to be about 56 kn (104 km/h; 64 mph) without the supercavitation option.

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