Russia Building Naval Base for Poseidon Nuclear Torpedo-Equipped Submarines in Kamchatka

Russia will finish constructing coastal infrastructure facilities for a new naval base to accommodate submarines carrying Poseidon nuclear-capable super-torpedoes next year.

"The construction of coastal infrastructure facilities for accommodating two special-purpose submarines – Belgorod and Khabarovsk – in Kamchatka is set to be finished at the beginning of next year," a source close to Russia’s Defense Ministry was quoted as saying by government-owned TASS on Monday.

The Poseidon is nicknamed the "tsunami apocalypse torpedo" for its multi-megaton warhead that could create city-smashing waves. At more than 6ft in diameter and 65ft long, weighing perhaps a 100 tons, it is the largest torpedo ever developed, coming in at thirty times the size of a heavy torpedo.

The new division that the Russian Pacific Fleet is setting up within its submarine forces will also comprise other submarines. The new special-purpose submarines "will deal with strategic deterrence," he stressed.

Belgorod will receive the first ammunition load consisting of Poseidon torpedoes. The ceremony of delivering the Project 09852 submarine to the Fleet without its basic armament took place on July 8, 2022. Currently, the Belgorod is undergoing its operational evaluation in the Russian Northern Fleet.

The Project 09851 nuclear-powered submarine Khabarovsk is at the final stage of its construction at the Sevmash Shipyard (part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation).