OREANDA-NEWS. The nuclear 184-metre, 14,700-ton submarine “Belgorod”, the first carrier of unmanned aerial vehicles “Poseidon”, was set afloat, at the ”Sevmash” Shipyard at the northern Russia’s White Sea port city of Severodvinsk.

It was prohibited to make photo and video of the ship due to the special secrecy of the project. Russian President Vladimir Putin watched the process via a teleconference. According to the seamen tradition, the captain of the ship smashed a bottle of champagne on the board of the submarine.

The building of the “Belgorod” will continue at sea. After nuclear reactor tests and sea tests, which are planned for 2019 and 2020, the submarine will be placed in the service of the Russian Navy.

The officials of Russian Ministry of Defense said earlier that the drone “Poseidon” carried by new underwater warship can be used against enemy aircraft carriers and ships “in all directions of the ocean theater of war”, as well as against coastal assets, which can be destroyed at intercontinental distance.  The long-range submersible drone reportedly has two speed modes, which makes it capable of traveling at low speed approaching the target, while greatly boosting its speed to escape if detected, therefore Russian military men called “Poseidon” “virtually invulnerable.” The head of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, which includes “Sevmash”, Alexey Rakhmanov said in 2018 that the characteristics of the drones will be kept secret.

Andrea L. Thompson, USA Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, said in February that she considers the information on the capabilities of “Poseidon” to be propaganda, and added that the United States has the most powerful armed forces in the world.