Information about the imminent acquisition of operational combat readiness by the low-noise 2M39 Poseidon strategic nuclear submarine strike vehicle has become the main news in both Russian and world media.
To date, such a tool (together with the Chinese counterpart AJX-002) will be able to ensure the strategic parity of the Russian Navy with numerous aircraft carrier and ship strike groups of the US Navy and The United NATO Navy. But thanks to what tactical and technical features is Poseidon able to achieve such capabilities?
Firstly, the above product has an estimated displacement of about 47-55 tons (the displacement of 100 tons replicated in the network is erroneous). This is about 29-30 times more than the torpedoes of the UGST "Fizik". At the same time, the power of the warhead of this strategic intercontinental torpedo can vary from 17 to 30+ megatons, which is 3 to 4 times more powerful than all 10 warheads of the promising heavy intercontinental ballistic missile silo—based "Sarmat", which was mentioned by Russian President Vladimir Putin in the list for the imminent adoption of combat duty.
Such power is quite enough to critically damage the naval personnel of the 2nd Operational Fleet of the US Navy, stationed at the Norfolk Naval Base. The initiation of the warhead can be carried out 10 — 15 km from this facility. A similar tactic is also valid in countering the enemy's carrier strike groups.
Nevertheless, in order to reach the frontiers of effective deployment of the Poseidon combat unit, it is necessary to successfully overcome all anti-submarine zones of restriction and prohibition of access and maneuver of the NATO Naval Forces. What is available for this?
The capacity of the Poseidon nuclear power plant can reach 8 MW, while only 100-400 kW can be used in the "sneaking" mode. The acoustic stealth of the product, necessary to overcome the echeloned anti-submarine boundaries (formed by radio hydroacoustic buoys of the P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft), is provided by a developed jet propulsion with no cavitation effect. This effect is typical for classic propellers.
Also, Poseidon, like all modern multipurpose submarines, boasts the placement of mechanization units on multi-tiered shock absorption platforms. The cruising speed of the underwater course can reach 20 — 35 knots, and the maximum — no more than 85 — 100 knots.
It will be extremely difficult to detect the Poseidon strategic torpedo in the "sneaking" mode with a noise level of 35-50 dB with the standard AN/BQG—5A and LAB (Large Aperture Bow Array) multi-purpose nuclear submarines of the Virginia class in the first far acoustic illumination zone (30 — 70 km), even in ideal hydrological conditions in difficult conditions (typical of the North Atlantic), the detection range can be reduced up to several hundred meters.
The guidance system of the 2M39 apparatus is represented by an inertial navigation module with hydroacoustic extreme correlation along the bottom relief, as well as algorithms AI and the possibility of correction according to the GLONASS/GPS correction module at the water surface. An active-passive hydroacoustic GOS is used in the final section.
What are the features of the most promising carrier of 2M39 Poseidon strategic torpedoes — the Khabarovsk multipurpose special-purpose submarine?
On November 2, after the transfer of the Khabarovsk project 09851 multipurpose submarine from workshop No. 50 of the NSR to the Sukhona floating dock for launching, a promising submarine was photographed by the long-focus optical-electronic monitoring satellite Maxar. Based on the published photos, we can conclude that the length of the submarine hull reaches 135-140 m, and the width is 13.5 m.
In domestic submarines of this displacement, steam-producing OK-650V installations with water-water reactors with a capacity of 190 MW can be used at the power of SBGD 12-1700 electric generators with a capacity of 1700 kW. But the most interesting detail is the following.
The sketch and photo show that the submarine will also be equipped with a low-frequency passive sonar system based on a flexible extended towed antenna (GPBA) "Vignette-EM—01" or a more advanced analogue capable of detecting maneuvering submarines at a distance of 10 — 20 km in shallow sea and up to 30 - 35 + km (in the first long-range acoustic illumination zone) — in the deep . Torpedoes can be detected at a distance of 30+ km. Arleigh Burke—class destroyers can be detected at a distance of 85-135+ km (depending on the hydrological situation).
Thus, the Vignette-EM-01 alone is already able to partially provide the crew of the Poseidon carrier with sonar information about the proximity of the enemy's anti-submarine lines.
And the communication complex X-R-783- 0985 developed by PJSC Inteltech is integrated into the combat information and control system of the submarine. The complex will obviously be able to operate in the short-wave wave range and receive information from such air command posts as the IL—86VCP (according to the NATO codification - MAXDOME), or the Doomsday station UVB-76. Thus, the Khabarovsk—Poseidon tandem can today be considered the main destroyer of NATO naval strongholds.