Multipurpose system status 6. Media: Russia tested a giant nuclear torpedo. Underwater arms race

Pentagon sources have confirmed that Russia is testing a new type of weapon - a giant torpedo with a terrifyingly powerful thermonuclear warhead, known as "Status-6", writes Popular Mechanics. "This is very bad news," the US military said.

According to US intelligence, the tests took place on November 27. The torpedo was fired from a special-purpose submarine B-90 Sarov, details are unknown. The author of a material published in The Washington Free Beacon on this topic calls the Russian underwater vehicle revolutionary: a nuclear-powered torpedo is capable of moving at a speed of 90 knots at a depth of up to a kilometer. The range of the "Status" is 10 thousand kilometers, the size of the warhead is 6.5 meters. There, according to the Americans, a thermonuclear charge with a capacity of up to 100 megatons can be placed. Exploded off the coast of the United States, it will cause a giant tsunami that will wipe out coastal states along with naval bases, airfields and military factories.

According to experts, Status-6 is Russia's new asymmetric response to the US deployment of a global missile defense system. For the first time, the creation of a giant torpedo became a year ago, when a tablet with a description of a new weapon hit the lenses of television cameras at a government meeting on military issues. The Kremlin called the exposure of classified information an "accident". However, a number of political scientists consider it a deliberate "leak" and misinformation: according to the deadlines indicated in the tablet, it was planned to create the "Tsar Torpedo" in 2019.

Special-purpose submarines will be used as the carrier of the "Status" - in addition to the "Sarov" these are the "Belgorod" project 09852 "Antey" and "Khabarovsk" project 09851, which are under modernization. the burden cannot be detected either from land or from a satellite.

The description of the system says that it is also designed to inflict guaranteed unacceptable damage to the enemy by creating zones of extensive radioactive contamination on the coast, unsuitable for human life for a long time. This description fits the cobalt bomb - a thermonuclear weapon described by one of the creators of the American atomic weapon, Leo Szilard. The outer shell of such ammunition consists of cobalt-59, and its explosion guarantees the destruction of all life.

Tests of a cobalt bomb have never been carried out due to the unsuitability of the affected territories for development and the risk of destroying the entire biosphere of the Earth - according to calculations, this will require only 510 tons of cobalt. However, such a bomb and a giant torpedo as its delivery vehicle can be used as a deterrent - together with a system on alert that guarantees a retaliatory strike with the full power of Russia's nuclear forces even if the command posts and personnel of the Strategic Missile Forces are destroyed.

On Monday, November 9, during a meeting on the development of the military-industrial complex with the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin television journalists filmed documents about the classified "Ocean multi-purpose system" Status-6 ". Press Secretary of the President Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the cameras of federal channels really got materials that were not intended for wide publicity.

“Indeed, some secret data got into the camera lens, so they were subsequently deleted. We hope that this will not happen again,” the presidential press secretary said.

Peskov said he was not yet aware of anyone being punished for the incident, but promised that preventive measures would be taken to ensure that such leaks would not happen again.

What is "Status-6"?

Status-6 is an ocean multi-purpose system developed by the design bureau for the design of submarines of all classes of OAO Central Design Bureau MT Rubin. The materials filmed by journalists allow us to conclude that the main component of the system is a torpedo (designated as a "self-propelled underwater vehicle") equipped with a nuclear reactor. It carries a nuclear warhead with a capacity of 100 Mgt (the power of the Tsar Bomba, for comparison, is 57 Mgt). Travel speed - 185 km / h, torpedo range - 10 thousand km, travel depth - up to 1000 m. Military experts note that these characteristics are capable of providing a breakthrough for the US anti-submarine coastal system.

The purpose of the system is "to defeat important objects of the enemy's economy in the coastal area and inflict guaranteed unacceptable damage to the country's territory by creating zones of extensive radioactive contamination unsuitable for military, economic and other activities in these zones for a long time."

Special nuclear submarines of projects 09852 "Belgorod" * and 09851 "Khabarovsk" ** are indicated as carriers of the torpedo. The Status-6 multi-purpose system is due to undergo military acceptance in 2020.

Why is "Status-6" called "Sakharov's torpedo"?

Most military experts call the Status-6 project a legacy of developments Academician Andrey Sakharov. His project T-15, nicknamed "Sakharov's torpedo", was an underwater self-propelled vehicle that was supposed to carry a thermonuclear charge to the shores of the enemy.

In his memoirs, Sakharov wrote about the T-15: “One of the first people with whom I discussed this project was Rear Admiral Fomin... He was shocked by the "cannibalistic nature" of the project and remarked to me that naval sailors were accustomed to fighting an armed enemy in open battle and that the very thought of such a massacre was disgusting to him.

Sakharov suggested using Project 627 nuclear submarines developed in the 1950s as a “delivery vehicle” for a powerful nuclear charge (100 megatons). According to his calculations, the explosion of such a bomb would form a giant tsunami wave that would destroy everything on the coast. The T-15 project remained at the level of drawings and sketches, since at that time the USSR submarine fleet did not have the ability to carry ballistic missiles.

What is the Central Design Bureau MT "Rubin"?

JSC "TsKB MT" Rubin "is the central design bureau of marine equipment, one of the world leaders in the design of submarines and the leading design bureau of underwater shipbuilding in Russia. “For more than 110 years of activity, we have accumulated vast experience in creating submarines of various classes. This experience is successfully used in the creation of not only military, but also civilian equipment. Central Design Bureau MT Rubin has become a recognized partner of oil and gas companies in terms of developing equipment for the development of oil and gas fields on the continental shelf.

Project 949AM multi-purpose nuclear submarine (NPS) "Belgorod" is an unfinished Russian nuclear submarine of the Antey class. It was laid down at Sevmash Production Association on July 24, 1992 under serial number 664. On April 6, 1993, it was renamed Belgorod. The construction of the nuclear submarine was frozen after the sinking of the Kursk submarine of the same type in 2000.

The nuclear submarine (NPS) "Khabarovsk" of project 09851 was laid down on July 27, 2014 at OJSC PO "Northern Machine-Building Enterprise" in Severodvinsk. This is one of the most secret submarine cruisers of the Russian Navy, there is no information about the completion of the construction of the nuclear submarine in the public domain.

) random, or maybe "accidental" frame from television reports? From the very beginning, I did not even pay any attention to it, but then the waves of this information spread so widely through the sea of informational media that I myself began to wonder what it could really be.

So, What became known from the "illuminated booklet"?

A self-propelled underwater vehicle from the Status-6 ocean multi-purpose system, designed to "hit important objects of the enemy's economy," has become one of the most discussed topics in the world. The drone “accidentally” demonstrated on the air of federal channels has turned into a bone of contention for experts, some of whom consider it a thin Kremlin “duck”, while others see it as a new embodiment of Professor Sakharov’s ideas.

The Status-6 system is designed to "destroy important objects of the enemy's economy in the coastal area and inflict guaranteed unacceptable damage to the country's territory by creating zones of extensive radioactive contamination unsuitable for military, economic and other activities in these zones for a long time" . That's what almost all the media quoted. What else do we know about her...

The carriers of the system are nuclear submarines of projects 09852 Belgorod and 09851 Khabarovsk, the first of which is being rebuilt into a special-purpose submarine from a carrier of cruise missiles, and the second is being built from scratch. Both ships are on the stocks of Severodvinsk "Sevmash".

The strike force of "Status" should be a self-propelled underwater vehicle with a range of 10,000 kilometers and a depth of 1,000 meters.

Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Equipment was chosen as the lead contractor for the system.

In his memoirs, Sakharov wrote about the T-15: “One of the first people with whom I discussed this project was Rear Admiral Fomin... He was shocked by the "cannibalistic nature" of the project and remarked in a conversation with me that naval sailors were accustomed to fighting an armed enemy in open battle and that the very thought of such a massacre was disgusting to him.

“Here, the approach is completely different. It is based on burning and infecting all ports on the US coast. There are not so many of them - I know only 17 pieces, and not all of them can accept large ocean-going vessels. This will automatically create insurmountable logistical problems for the United States when waging a war in Europe, and when obtaining resources from the occupied territories,” they discuss in social networks.

Why are Rubin designers famous?

Petersburg Design Bureau specializes in the design of submarines and deep-sea special equipment. In the bowels of the bureau, the Russian strategic Boreas were born, the diesel-electric Varshavyankas operating around the world, the Lada submarines with an air-independent engine operating on the principle of an electrochemical generator are under development.

According to official data from the annual reports of Sevmash and government contracts, the developer of Belgorod and Khabarovsk is also Rubin.

Igor Vilnit's subordinates also have experience in creating autonomous underwater vehicles. Back in 2007, the Harpsichord AUV, an almost 6-meter, 2.5-ton deep-sea robot for surveying bottom objects, saw the light. It is capable of diving into the depths of the sea for 6 km and passing without returning to the surface for 300 km.

Is there any evidence of the development of a "self-propelled underwater vehicle"?

There is no doubt that a promising autonomous uninhabited underwater vehicle is indeed being created in the depths of the Rubin. This is evidenced by tenders for carrying out component parts of development work to create a “promising power source for AUVs”, a high-pressure pump unit for the buoyancy control system of a promising AUV”, “information and control systems and information systems for a promising AUV complex”.

However, it is not possible to obtain more detailed information about the work being carried out in the bureau from the procurement documentation, so it cannot be reliably stated that the results of all the above R & D will help Russia create the same “self-propelled underwater vehicle”. It may well be a new incarnation of the already demonstrated Juno drone.

To whom is Status subject?

If the information demonstrated to the whole world does not turn out to be a specially launched "duck", then it will still not be possible to rejoice at the replenishment of the Russian Navy with new equipment. Because giving orders to the commanders of "Belgorod" and "Khabarovsk" will not be the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, but the head of the Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research of the Ministry of Defense, a structure separate from the fleet within the military department. Now this position is occupied by Vice Admiral, Hero of Russia Alexei Burilichev.

The own fleet of this formation, subordinated directly to the Minister of Defense, is very large. In addition to submarines, nuclear deep-sea stations and uninhabited underwater vehicles, the GUGI operates the Yantar oceanographic research vessel, the Seliger test vessel, the Zvyozdochka rescue vessel, and tugboats. Several more vessels for the department and a transport floating dock of the Sviyaga type are under construction.

On the websites of fans of military equipment it is indicated that since 1988 in Russia they have been developing a robotic boat-based submarine "Skif". There are several versions about what it is. It could be a missile that can wait for a launch at the bottom of the sea, or some kind of underwater projectile that travels part of the way under water, and then launches a cruise missile at a ground target. The project is led by the Central Design Bureau of Transportation "Rubin". The same design bureau is indicated in the document that was aired on TV.

To top it off "Putin's favorite journalist" indicates that if there was a leak about a secret Russian torpedo, it was not the first, referring to the publication in the American edition of The Washington Free Beacon on September 8 entitled "Russia is building a nuclear-armed drone submarine."

In this article, the author of the publication, Bill Gertz, described the concept of this submarine and said that, according to the American classification, it was given the code name Kanyon, and all the details of this secret Russian program are discussed only in a narrow circle of American government officials. At the same time, experts interviewed by Free Beacon called Kanyon a threat to US security and pointed to it as an example of "Russian aggressive behavior." Domestic weapon lovers believe that this is the Skif project.

The name "Status-6" was never mentioned on the Russian Internet before the presentation was shown on television. After the appearance of information about the secret apparatus, blogs began to discuss whether it was an accident or a deliberate leak. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who usually refutes almost all information coming from unofficial sources, unexpectedly confirmed the accidental leak of one page from a secret presentation. At the same time, Peskov reacted specifically to blog posts, and not to publications in major media - this story did not receive much resonance before his comment. Moreover, the Kremlin spokesman said he knew nothing about whether anyone was punished for leaking classified information. He promised to take "preventive measures so that this does not happen again", but did not promise that those responsible would be brought to justice. After Peskov's speech, a message appeared that journalists were forbidden to film participants in meetings with Putin, with the exception of the president himself.

Against missile defense?

The meeting with Putin was devoted to the possibilities of overcoming the American missile defense system with Russian strategic weapons.

“Over the past three years, enterprises of the military-industrial complex have created and successfully tested a number of advanced weapons systems that are capable of solving combat missions in a layered missile defense system. Such systems have already begun to enter the troops this year. And today we will talk about how the development of new types of weapons is going on, ”Putin said, opening the meeting.

According to experts, "Status-6" is considered as a weapon that can potentially bypass missile defense, since this system is designed to intercept ballistic missiles and cannot attack targets in the depths of the ocean.

The American missile defense system is a strong irritant for the Russian leadership. In Moscow, despite assurances from the Americans that by deploying missile defense facilities in Europe, Washington only wants to protect its allies from strikes from rogue states, they believe that this system is directed against Russia and is intended solely to destroy Russian ballistic missiles.

Many experts contacted by the BBC for comment said that they consider the emergence of information about the new weapon to be a deliberate stuffing, the purpose of which is to demonstrate to the West the readiness for confrontation.

A BBC source related to the military-industrial complex said that, in his opinion, the demonstration of secret documents in front of television cameras at a meeting with the president cannot be an accident, and most likely this was done in order to demonstrate Russia's readiness to resist the Western system PRO.

"Destruction of objects"

The performance characteristics of the future nuclear torpedo are unknown. The document only contains the main indicators - depth up to 1000 meters, speed - up to 185 km per hour (it is kilometers per hour that appear in the document, and not the nodes in which the speed of marine vehicles is most often measured), range - up to 10 thousand kilometers, caliber - 1.6 meters.

The project 09852 Belgorod and Project 09851 Khabarovsk special-purpose nuclear submarines under construction are indicated on the page as intended carriers.

In the shown document, the name "Ocean multi-purpose system" Status-6 "appears, but only one way of its application is mentioned there.

“The defeat of important objects of the enemy’s economy in the coastal area and the infliction of guaranteed unacceptable damage to the country’s territory by creating zones of extensive radioactive contamination unsuitable for military, economic and other activities in these zones for a long time,” it says.

Konstantin Sivkov, commenting on the appearance of information about System-6, said that a torpedo of such a project would most likely be quite large and would be able to carry a high-yield nuclear charge up to 100 megatons.

“At the calculated point, there is an explosion, and a wave will rise to a height of 400-500 meters and wash away all living things one and a half thousand kilometers deep into the United States. Moreover, explosions of such monstrous force initiate volcanic activity,” he said.

However, according to another expert, Konstantin Bogdanov, a military observer for Lenta.Ru, it is too early to talk about the purpose of this torpedo. According to him, the presence of the word "multi-purpose" in the name of the project suggests that its nuclear status is not necessarily the main one.

“The combat module presented in this super torpedo can easily be used for other purposes, including for the delivery of special equipment, deployment of reconnaissance equipment, and so on. We can easily get a situation where such development work is underway, but the actual purpose of the system may differ from that demonstrated. But, perhaps, it will include this too, ”he said.

Underwater arms race

As military expert Viktor Murakhovsky told the BBC, both Russia and the United States have been working in the field of military or dual-use deep-sea vehicles for many years and follow each other's work as much as possible. Therefore, the new development, he believes, is unlikely to be a big sensation for the military.

“For the US, this is not a secret. They also work in this area - in the field of automatic underwater vehicles for searching and destroying submarines and uninhabited underwater vehicles, ”he said.

A little more about Russian weapons: for example, and here is the opinion that The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy is made -

US authorities have confirmed the existence of a project for a Russian unmanned submarine capable of delivering a nuclear strike on the United States. This conclusion was reached by the American media after analyzing the 47-page text of the draft of the new US nuclear doctrine.

“In addition to the ongoing modernization of the Soviet nuclear legacy, Russia is developing new nuclear warheads and launchers. These attempts include updating every component of the nuclear triad: strategic bombers, sea-based and land-based missiles. Russia is also developing at least two new intercontinental strike systems, a hypersonic glider and a new strategic nuclear submarine autonomous torpedo.

We are talking about the project of the nuclear robotic system "Status-6". Earlier, the US authorities did not confirm the information about the existence of this secret Russian project. At the end of 2016, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Davis stated the following: “We are closely following the development of Russian underwater technology, but we will not comment on it.” However, "Status-6" was still assigned an index according to the NATO classification - "Canyon" (Kanyon).

The storm of American power

It is generally accepted that for the first time about "Status-6" it became "accidentally" known from a presentation for Russian President Vladimir Putin. The "Secret Slide" was shown on November 9, 2015 at one of the meetings on the development of the military-industrial complex.

“Indeed, some secret data got into the camera lens, so they were subsequently deleted. We hope that this will not happen again,” Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation, commented on the “leak”.

However, Russian and foreign analysts were not inclined to trust the Kremlin speaker's explanation. The point of view was established in the expert community that Moscow deliberately allowed the demonstration of the Status-6 project to the general public. This may indicate that the development of an underwater drone is nearing completion.

In the West, they fear that the deadly drone could become another "nuclear trump card" in the sleeve of Moscow. In such a situation, the United States will have to increase military spending, inventing new methods to counter the Russian nuclear submarine fleet.

In Russia, the Status-6 project is perceived as an additional and very effective tool for deterring the United States. Considering the potential power of this atomic drone warhead, analysts conclude that the project is Moscow's asymmetric response to Washington's policy. Such a destructive weapon crosses out the US efforts to improve the global missile defense system and create some kind of superweapon against the Russian Federation.

It is assumed that "Status-6" will ensure the guaranteed defeat of the naval bases of the overseas superpower. The berths of American submarines carrying intercontinental ballistic missiles are mainly under threat. American missile carriers can be hit by Russian drones both during combat duty in the oceans and while at the dock.

In addition, "Status-6" can become a doomsday weapon. In the event of a nuclear war, drones will strike at American cities, which are extremely vulnerable to the Russian submarine fleet, as they are located on the coast of the oceans.

Of course, in response to the appearance of "Status-6" in the Russian Navy, the United States can create a similar nuclear drone in a short time (it is quite possible that the Americans are already developing it). However, it is obvious that the effect of its use against the Russian Federation will not be comparable. Almost all major cities in Russia are located within the continent.

The heir to the Soviet Tsar-torpedo

In Status-6, Russia de facto embodies the idea of the Cold War era to create a tsar torpedo (the Soviet project T-15) capable of delivering a nuclear charge to the US coast. However, the T-15 is only a distant prototype of the Russian "Status-6", which will be distinguished by a developed artificial intelligence. This robotic drone will be as autonomous as possible from its operator.

From the earlier “leak”, it follows that the Russian underwater drone, equipped with a mini-nuclear reactor, will perform tasks at a distance of up to 10 thousand kilometers, diving to a depth of one kilometer. "Status-6" will be placed on the nuclear-powered "Belgorod" project 949AM "Antey" and "Khabarovsk" project 09851. Both submarines are under construction, which is expected to be completed in 2020.

The length of the drone will be 24 meters, and the combat module - 6.5 meters. The speed of the device is amazing. It is claimed that it can reach 90 knots (166 km/h). For comparison, the American MK-48 torpedo has a speed of 55 knots. Such speed characteristics make the Russian drone invulnerable to interception.

The technical support and repair of Status-6 will be carried out by the experimental diesel-electric submarine B-90 Sarov of project 20120 and auxiliary vessels of project 20180 Zvyozdochka. The development of the drone is carried out by the St. Petersburg Central Design Bureau of MT "Rubin" - the flagship of the design ideas of the Russian Federation in the field of the submarine fleet.

At the moment, only one test of "Status-6" is known. In December 2016, The Washington Free Beacon, citing US intelligence data, reported that in the fall, a drone was released into the sea from the Sarov. There is no information about test results.

In November 2017, The National Interest published an article by analyst Michael Peck entitled "Russia is building a very strange weapon - underwater intercontinental ballistic missiles." The author of the material doubts that Moscow is capable of developing a nuclear-powered drone that meets the characteristics stated in the media.

“There are many seamounts and canyons in the ocean depth of a thousand meters (one American nuclear submarine almost sank when it collided with such a mountain at a depth of 160 meters). How, then, will the Status-6 torpedo swim 10,000 kilometers without crashing into some rock if it does not have an ultra-modern navigation system, or if a kamikaze navigator is not put at the helm? ”Peck asks rhetorically.

Indeed, St. Petersburg designers will have to solve a lot of complex problems. Domestic experts admit that Russia is far behind the United States in the development of autonomous underwater systems and artificial intelligence. At the same time, one should not underestimate the capabilities of the same Rubin. At least in the West, they are convinced that Russia is making every effort to close the gap in air and underwater drones.

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He got into the lenses of the TV channels of two federal media at a meeting on the development of the defense industry in Sochi, which was held on November 9, 2015 Vladimir Putin. Recall that then the president said that Russia would develop strike systems capable of overcoming any missile defense systems.

NTV and Channel One showed stories (now deleted), where allegedly by chance through the back, presumably Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces, Colonel-General Andrey Kartapolov the concept and timing of the implementation of the development was filmed, which, in theory, is classified as “Top Secret”, namely, the Status-6 ocean multi-purpose system.

As you can see from the screenshot, its developer is Rubin Central Design Bureau MT. This is one of the leading Soviet and Russian enterprises in the design of submarines, both diesel-electric and nuclear, for example, the Borey SSBN.

The purpose of the system is "the defeat of important objects of the enemy's economy in the coastal area and the infliction of guaranteed unacceptable damage to the country's territory by creating zones of extensive radioactive contamination, unsuitable for military, economic and other activities in these zones for a long time".

Two nuclear submarines are depicted as intended carriers: the Belgorod special-purpose nuclear submarine under construction - an unfinished Antey-class cruiser, relaid on December 20, 2012 according to a special project 09852, and also a special-purpose submarine laid down on July 27, 2014 at Sevmash "Khabarovsk" project 09851.

First, it should be said about special purpose submarines. “SP” already wrote that on August 1, a ceremony was held in Severodvinsk to withdraw workshop No. 15 of the special-purpose nuclear submarine BS-64 “Podmoskovye” from the boathouse. The submarine was converted from a K-64 project 667BDRM missile carrier into a boat designed to work with nuclear deep-sea stations (AGS) and uninhabited underwater vehicles in the interests of the top-secret Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research (GUGI) of the Russian Defense Ministry. This boat has yet to undergo mooring and then factory sea trials, after which the BS-64 "Podmoskovye" in the fleet will replace the boat "Orenburg", in 1996-2002 also converted from a project 667BDR missile carrier.

During sea trials, the BS-64 will presumably interact with the AGS of the Kashalot, Halibut and Losharik projects. Or rather, to be the carrier (womb boat) of one or another “baby”, as the AGS is also called. The carrier secretly delivers a mini-submarine (AGS), which has a low speed, to the desired area, after which it disconnects it for autonomous operation.

"Orenburg" and AGS are part of the mysterious 29th separate brigade of submarines of the Northern Fleet, which performs tasks in the interests of the GUGI. For reference: until 1986, the "kids" were not included in the Navy, but were part of the General Staff unit associated with the GRU. Note also that former commander of the 29th OBR PL SF Rear Admiral Vladimir Dronov and more than ten officers bear the titles of Heroes of the Russian Federation (For information on what tasks can be performed by special-purpose nuclear submarines and AGS, see the material “SP” - “Nuclear Submarine Podmoskovye: an underwater reconnaissance aircraft is preparing to hunt”) .

Now with regard to the Status-6 system. At the beginning of September of this year, the American edition The Washington Free Beacon reported that Russia is allegedly creating an "underwater drone" codenamed "Canyon", capable of carrying nuclear weapons with a yield of tens of megatons and threatening US ports and coastal cities.

Then naval analyst Norman Polmar suggested that the Kanyon system is based on the Soviet T-15 straight-line nuclear torpedo with a capacity of 100 megatons (the idea Academician Sakharov), which was designed in the 50s just to strike at coastal targets in the United States.

In his memoirs, Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov said the following about this: “One of the first with whom I discussed this project was Rear Admiral Fomin... He was shocked by the "cannibalistic nature" of the project and remarked in a conversation with me that naval sailors were accustomed to fighting an armed enemy in open battle and that the very thought of such a massacre was disgusting to him.

Interestingly, for security reasons, as well as taking into account other factors, the T-15 torpedo was developed without the participation of the Navy. The Navy learned about it only through the project of the first nuclear submarine.

Note that at one time it was for such a large torpedo that the first Soviet nuclear submarine of project 627 was specially created, which was supposed to have not eight torpedo tubes, but one - with a caliber of 1.55 meters and a length of up to 23.5 meters. It was assumed that the T-15 would be able to approach the American naval base and, with a super-powerful charge of several tens of megatons, demolish all life. But then this idea was abandoned in favor of a submarine with eight torpedoes, which could solve a whole range of tasks. And as a result, nuclear submarines of project 627A were created.

Military historians claim that the Soviet admirals, having familiarized themselves with the project in 1954, declared with confidence that the submarine would certainly be destroyed on the way to the American base. Moreover, the entrances to all American bases for many kilometers close the winding shores of bays, islands, shoals, as well as booms, steel nets. Like, such obstacles on the way to the object of the T-15 torpedo cannot be overcome.

However, as SP said military expert and historian Alexander Shirokorad, in 1961, the T-15 idea was revived again at the suggestion of Academician Andrei Sakharov.

- The fact is that in fact the tactics of using such a super-torpedo could be completely different. The nuclear submarine was supposed to secretly launch a torpedo at a distance from the coast much more than 40 km. Having used up all the energy of the batteries, the T-15 would lay down on the ground, that is, it would become an intelligent bottom mine. The torpedo fuse could be in standby mode for a long time for a signal from an aircraft or ship, which could be used to detonate a charge. The bottom line is that damage to naval bases, ports and other coastal facilities, including cities, would be caused by a powerful shock wave - a tsunami caused by a nuclear explosion ...

That is, based on a document leaked to the media, Russia decided to revive the idea of Academician Sakharov?

Deputy Director of the Institute for Political and Military Analysis Alexander Khramchikhin I am convinced that such a scenario of an unplanned leak of information about developments labeled "Top Secret" in the media cannot exist in principle.

“There can be no doubt that this is a deliberate stuffing. The goal is to make a known adversary think about their actions. But, to be honest, I strongly doubt that the development under discussion will be implemented in hardware. That is, this leak is most likely pure disinformation. If only because the creation of "zones of extensive radioactive contamination" does not require any additional development. Existing intercontinental missiles can do this anyway, the expert concludes.

Thus, the purpose of demonstrating the document in front of the lens of cameras with a top-secret system is to frighten and puzzle Western "partners".

However, if we assume that the development of such a system is really carried out by the Central Design Bureau MT Rubin? What does this mean?

RARAN Corresponding Member, Captain 1st Rank Reserve Konstantin Sivkov