So, how do you deal with this monster?
“Russia is also developing at least two new intercontinental range systems, a hypersonic glide vehicle, and a new intercontinental, nuclear-armed, undersea autonomous torpedo,” the report says.
However, the Washington Free Beacon first reported the existence of the drone submarine in September 2015.
Two months later, Russia revealed on state-run television a document showing the drone is known in Moscow as the Ocean Multipurpose System Status-6 and is being developed by the TsKB MT Rubin design bureau that built all current submarines in service with the Russian navy.
A test of the drone was conducted in November 2016, an indication the weapon is a priority nuclear program.
Defense officials have revealed that the drone submarine, code-named Kanyon by the Pentagon, will carry a very large nuclear warhead up to 100 megatons that will be capable of destroying entire port cities or harbors.
The Russians likely would use the nuclear drone torpedoes in a nuclear conflict for targeting the ballistic missile submarine bases at Kings Bay, Ga., and Puget Sound in Washington state.
Officials said the Kanyon likely will be outfitted with warheads in the “tens” of megatons. A megaton is the equivalent of one million tons of TNT.
A blast of that size could create massive damage over wide areas.
Additionally, the drone torpedo will be capable of traveling underwater at high speeds over long distances.
These tactical and theater-use nuclear arms are not covered by the 2010 New START arms treaty. The numbers of Russian tactical nuclear arms are increasing along with significant improvements in delivery systems—missiles and aircraft.
Russia has violated the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty with a new ground-launched strategic missiles.
“Moscow believes these systems may provide useful options for escalation advantage,” the draft report said.
Russia also is modernizing its nuclear-armed ballistic missile defenses.
“Russia’s increased reliance on nuclear capabilities to include coercive threats, nuclear modernization programs, refusal to negotiate any limits on its non-strategic nuclear forces, and its decision to violate the INF Treaty and other commitments all clearly indicate that Russia has rebuffed repeated U.S. efforts to reduce the salience, role, and number of nuclear weapons,” the report said.
The comment is a veiled criticism of the nuclear policies of former President Barack Obama who ordered the Pentagon to reduce the role of nuclear weapons.
As a result, U.S. nuclear forces have significantly atrophied and are in urgent need of costly modernization of both weapons and the infrastructure used to produce and maintain them.
The forthcoming posture review will call for a new nuclear strategy called “tailored deterrence” that seeks different ways to deter nuclear adversaries.
