US commanders have always been concerned by Russian submarines. Russia has built one the largest undersea ships in the world, and also demonstrated its ability attack inland targets with cruise missiles. This is a particularly alarming development for US military leaders, as they are concerned that these submarines will increasingly challenge their influence around the globe.
A new russian submarine is set to enter service later this year. According to Russia's state media, it will be capable of carrying nuclear-capable submarine torpedoes.
It will be called Belgorod and will be used in the conflict in Ukraine. It is said to be the biggest submarine ever built and can carry a variety of mini-subs. It has a compartment that can be used to launch "apocalyptic drones", which can be used for the destruction of infrastructure and sub-subs.
Although it is not yet known where the submarine is located, it may be in the Baltic Sea. This area has been the subject of Russian naval strikes on the Nord Stream pipelines. Moscow could use the new submarine to make it easier to destroy the pipelines. The submarine may also be capable of carrying out a nuclear strike.
The submarine's capabilities are not known, but it could carry a Poseidon missile, which would make it a very dangerous addition to Russia's navy. The only other Russian submarines that carry nuclear torpedoes are the Velikiye Luki and St. Petersburg classes, both of which ran into construction and financial problems.
Russia has been trying to modernize and enhance its nuclear submarine capabilities since 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed. Russia has revamped the submarine fleet, modernized weaponry, as well as built new submarine types that are more stealthy and advanced. These changes, along with improved nuclear weapons capability, have bolstered Russia's military capabilities and raised its threat levels.
Putin has vowed to intimidate the West in the war in Ukraine by using its nukes, and now it looks like he's taking steps to do so. New footage of a Russian submarine nuclear reactor has been released.
The video was uploaded to Zvezda, Russia's Ministry of Defense's TV station. It is the first time a crew has been allowed to film the reactor, and the footage was screened on a show called 'Military Acceptance' yesterday.
Russia's nuclear submarines are incredibly vulnerable to attack, as was shown in 1998 when a suicide bomber boarded an Akula-class submarine at the Northern Fleet base in Gadzhiyevo and blew himself up. In 2001, eight sailors were killed by a terrorist who tried to launch a bomb out of a Russian submarine in Atlantic Ocean.
These are only some of the dangers Russia's nuke submarines pose. This has made them a top priority for US military officials. US commanders have been especially worried about Russia's Severodvinsk-class submarines, which have been in service for more than a decade and are rapidly expanding their global presence. According to US Air Force General Glen VanHerck - director of US Northern Command (NORAD), these submarines are "on par" with the United States’s Ohio Class ballistic or guided-missile submarines.