MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said Sunday that the Russian Navy would be armed with hypersonic nuclear attack weapons and submarine nuclear drones, which the defense ministry said were in their final phase of testing.
Putin, who says he doesn’t want an arms race, has often spoken of a new generation of Russian nuclear weapons that he says are unmatched and can strike almost anywhere in the world. Some western experts have questioned how advanced they are.
The weapons, some of which have not yet been deployed, include the Poseidon submarine nuclear drone, designed to be carried by submarines, and the Tsirkon (Zircon) hypersonic cruise missile, which can be deployed on surface ships.
The combination of speed, maneuverability, and altitude of hypersonic missiles, capable of traveling at more than five times the speed of sound, makes them difficult to track and intercept.
Speaking in St. Petersburg at an annual naval parade showcasing Russia’s best ships, nuclear submarines, and naval aviation, Putin said the navy’s capabilities were growing and it would get 40 new ships this year.
He did not specify when he would receive new hypersonic weapons, but suggested that day was approaching.
“The widespread deployment of advanced digital technologies that are unmatched in the world, including hypersonic attack systems and underwater drones, will give the fleet unique advantages and greater combat capabilities,” Putin said.
In a separate statement released through Russian news agencies, the defense ministry said tests of the Belgorod, the first submarine capable of carrying Poseidon drones, were underway and that tests of weapons systems were nearing completion. to complete.
“Work is being successfully completed to create modern weapons systems for the Navy,” it was cited.
Last year, Putin threatened to deploy hypersonic missiles on ships and submarines that could lurk outside the United States’ territorial waters if the United States moved to deploy intermediate-range nuclear weapons in Europe.
Washington has not deployed such missiles in Europe, but Moscow is concerned that it may.
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