Poseidon

Russia’s nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed autonomous intercontinental torpedo — a second-strike weapon designed to approach coastal targets deep beneath missile defenses, now slowly materializing after a decade of staged leaks, test-launch claims and visible carrier-submarine construction.

Overview

Poseidon (2M39, NATO reporting name “Kanyon”) is a strategic, nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed unmanned underwater vehicle originally known under the Russian codename “Status-6.” Developed by the Rubin Central Design Bureau, it is best understood as an intercontinental torpedo: a one-way autonomous vehicle that cruises for days or weeks at depth to deliver a multi-megaton warhead against ports, naval bases and coastal cities. The entire concept is built around exploiting a gap in missile-defense architecture — an incoming warhead approaching underwater is not intercepted by the ballistic-missile-defense systems that Russia’s leadership has spent two decades railing against. No operator has yet fielded the weapon, and performance rests almost entirely on Russian state assertions, but the physical infrastructure to support it is real and growing: the giant special-purpose submarines Belgorod (delivered 2022) and Khabarovsk (launched 2025) carry six tubes each, and a multi-vehicle force is planned.

🔒 The full Poseidon file is for BattlePolicy Pro members. Below the line: development history, design and capabilities, variants, the combat record, advantages and limitations, comparable systems, outlook, the full specifications table, our sourcing, and the analyst assessment — procurement, suppliers and the BattlePolicy verdict. Unlock the full file with BattlePolicy Pro →