Russia tests a new type of torpedo in the Arctic and prepares to strengthen its military presence

Russia is conducting tests of a new weaponry in an area of ​​the Arctic with the aim of giving security to its north coast and guaranteeing a key maritime route between Asia and Europe, according to the US network CNN.

The station cites weapons experts and Western sources to report tests of a type of torpedo called Poseidon 2M39, equipped with a nuclear reactor and whose development has been carried out rapidly since tests were carried out last February.

This torpedo would be designed to pass undetected coastal defenses, such as those of the United States, adds CNN.

This type of weapon will have a capacity of several megatons whose impact would cause radioactive waves, with the effect of leaving coastal strips uninhabitable for decades, according to Russian official sources.

As early as last November, then-US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher A. Ford said the Poseidon is designed to “flood American coastal cities with radioactive tsunamis.”

CNN echoes statements made by the head of the Norwegian intelligence services, Vice Admiral Nils Andreas Stensønes, to affirm that the Poseidon is in the testing phase but that its influence will go beyond the region in which It is currently being tested, alluding to the Arctic, but declined to give details of the torpedo’s progress.

Satellite images obtained by the US network show the development of Russian military bases on the Arctic coast that include underground storage for the Poseidon and other high-tech weapons, such as bombs and radar systems, near the coast of Alaska.

This satellite image released by Maxar Technologies shows ice breakages caused by Russian submarines near Alexandra Island in the Arctic on March 27, 2021. (Photo by – / Satellite Image 2021 Maxar Technologies / AFP). (- /)

CNN also quotes a State Department source speaking of a “clear challenge from Russia in the Arctic” that includes the reform of old bases from the Cold War era and the construction of new facilities on the Kola Peninsula, near the city of Murmansk, which has implications “for the US and its allies because it creates the ability to project power into the North Atlantic.”

Development program of its Arctic territory until 2024

Russia It has also approved a program for the socio-economic development of the country’s Arctic territory until the year 2024, which will involve state investments of 19,500 million rubles, about 260 million dollars.

“The approved program will allow coordinating the efforts of the bodies of power, the business community and society in the execution of large-scale projects, important for the country’s economy.”said the Prime Minister of Russia, Mikhail Mishustin, in a meeting with the government’s staff.

The objective of the four-year plan, he explained, aims to guarantee the stable development of the region, create “tens of thousands” of jobs, support business projects and attract investors and qualified professionals to the Arctic regions.

In addition, it seeks to ensure the entry of private capital in volumes “many times greater” than public investments.

Mishustin noted that it is important for the Government to improve the quality of life and preserve the traditions of the small indigenous peoples living in the Arctic area of ​​Russia.

This year, the Government will allocate just over 3.4 billion rubles (about 45 million dollars) to the Arctic development plan, published on the official information portal, while in the following three years the Russian state will allocate a total for that purpose. of 16,000 million rubles (about 211 million dollars).