US commanders have been worried about Russian submarines for many years. Russia has demonstrated its ability to attack inland targets and built one of world's largest underwater fleets. This is a worrying development for US military leaders as they fear that these submarines may challenge their influence across the globe.
A new russian submarine is set to enter service later this year. It will be capable of carrying nuclear-capable torpedoes, according to Russia's state media.
The submarine will be named Belgorod, and it is intended to be used during the war in Ukraine. It is said to be the biggest submarine ever built and can carry a variety of mini-subs. It also contains a special compartment to launch "apocalyptic", drones. This will be used against enemy infrastructure and submarines.
Its location is still unknown, but it could be in the Baltic Sea, a region that has been the target of Russian naval attacks on the Nord Stream gas pipelines recently. The new submarine would make it easier for Moscow to sabotage the pipelines, and it may also be able to deliver a nuclear strike.
While there is no information on the submarine's capabilities, it may be capable of carrying a Poseidon-type torpedo. This would be a highly dangerous addition for the Russian 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.
Despite this, Russia has been working to modernize its nuclear submarines and improve their capabilities since 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed. It has restructured its submarine fleet, improved weaponry, and built new stealthier and more sophisticated submarines. These improvements, combined with improved nuclear weapons capabilities, have increased Russia's military capability and raised its threat level.
Putin has already pledged to intimidate West in the Ukraine war through the use of its nukes. And now, it seems like he is making steps to do just that. New footage of a Russian submarine nuclear reactor has been released.
The video was posted on the TV station 'Zvezda', which is run by Russia's Ministry of Defense. It was the first time that a crew had been permitted to film the reactor. Yesterday's show, 'Military Acceptance", screened the footage.
Russia's nuclear submarines can be extremely vulnerable to attack. This was demonstrated in 1998 by a suicide bomber who boarded an Akula class submarine at Gadzhiyevo's Northern Fleet base and set himself on fire. Eight sailors were killed when another terrorist tried to set off a bomb in the Atlantic Ocean from a Russian submarine.
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 are particularly concerned about Russia's Severodvinsk submarines. They have been in use for over a decade and are expanding their global reach rapidly. These submarines "are on par" with the United States's Ohio ballistic and guided missile submarines, states General Glen VanHerck (US Air Force), director of US Northern Command/NORAD.