Overview
- Russia launched the Khabarovsk this week at Sevmash, presenting it as a carrier for the nuclear‑powered, nuclear‑tipped Poseidon torpedo after Putin said tests succeeded last month.
- Putin touted unmatched speed, deep‑running capability and non‑interceptability, while Russian outlets promoted megaton‑class warheads and “radioactive tsunami” effects as claims.
- Pavel Podvig and other analysts dispute the tsunami concept’s feasibility, and specialists describe Poseidon chiefly as a deterrent or second‑strike signal rather than a war‑fighting tool.
- Russia’s Northern Fleet is assessed as a growing threat to the UK, with submarines and long‑range missiles that could strike land targets and specialized assets that jeopardize undersea cables and energy links.
- The UK’s Strategic Defence Review tasks the Royal Navy with an ‘Atlantic Bastion’ network, yet gaps in anti‑submarine forces and reliance on unproven autonomous systems leave near‑term shortfalls despite allied support.