A large nuclear-powered submarine with 'special tasks' of search, exploration and rescue at great depth, the largest since the Soviet fleet, equipped with Poseidon long-range submarine drones, also nuclear-powered, has been delivered to Russian Navy with a short ceremony.
The agencies Tass and Interfax write it.
The Poseidon atomic drones, known to NATO by the code name Kanyon, can be armed with nuclear, conventional warheads or research tools.
The Belgorod, the result of Project 09825, was built by the Jsc Sevmash shipyards, which are part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), the largest Russian shipbuilding group.
The commander of the Russian Navy, Adm.
Nikolay Yvemenov said that Belgorod "opens up new opportunities for Russia to conduct research and helps it in scientific expeditions or rescue operations in remote areas of oceans around the world".
The Belgorod was supposed to be delivered in 2020, but the project suffered delays in completing all tests.
The next special-purpose submarine to be delivered to the Moscow Navy will be the Khabarovsk, which, writes Interfax, will be equipped with Poseidon drones with nuclear warheads.