SvenSvensonov
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It's a nuclear armed torpedo called Status 6 (also known as Kanyon):
Status-6 torpedo
The Status-6 (Статус-6), aka KANYON, has been described as an unmanned midget submarine, but it is better thought of as a massively-large nuclear powered and nuclear armed torpedo. It is ginormous: 1.6m (5.5ft) in diameter and about 24m (79ft) long. To put that into perspective, it is about 27 times the volume of a regular 533mm (21”) heavyweight torpedo.
The weapon is designed to strike coastal cities and strategic targets, e.g. New York, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and bases like Groton CT and San Diego. The warhead is reported as a 100 megatons (which may be much too high!) nuclear device with a ‘dirty’ Cobalt shell in order to maximize the radioactive fallout. The payload is similar to the warheads used in ICBMs (Inter-continental Ballistic Missile) but only one is carried on the torpedo. It could therefore be compared to a city being hit by a single MIRV (Multiple Independent Reentry Vehicle) except that it explodes under the water. The effect is likely to be much more localized than an air-burst, but with greater local contamination spread by a radioactive ‘rain’. The explosion itself may be some way out of the target city due to geography and obstacle defenses but a shoreline city like New York would wiped out by a single hit. Performance variables:
Depth: The stated running depth of 1,000m is credible and places it below current countermeasures. The problem of building torpedoes and/or depth charges to hit it are not insurmountable but will take investment and renewed focus.
Speed: The claimed speed of 100 knots (185 kph) is incredibly fast for a torpedo. The leaked cutaway drawing shows that there is a nuclear reactor coupled with a steam turbine driving a propeller shaft so we know that it is not a rocket type weapon. At these speeds there would be vibration and stability problems for the designers to overcome. For the moment 100kt seems too fast but we will have to wait and see if the specifications become more realistic.
Range: The leaked document claims that the weapon can be launched from as far as 10,000 km (5,400 nm) away. Given its nuclear powerplant this seems credible. Even at an incredible 100kt, it would take 4 days to reach its target at maximum reach. Operationally we would expect ranges to be far shorter, but still undoubtedly an extremely long ranged weapon. It also seems likely that some of the distance would be accomplished under ice adding additional complexity both to navigation and to NATO countermeasures.
They were likely tested aboard a Russian special missions submarine called SAROV:
And their likely launching platform is a submarine called KHABAROVSK (пр.09851 "Калитка-СМП" "Хабаровск"):
There is no indication Status 6 has entered service.
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As for the "topic", the PN could use an upgrade in unconventional warfare. I like that they're exploring the S-20 AIP/DE submarine, but I'd like to see them explore diver delivery vehicles or special missions craft too for ISR or sabotage missions. What better way to strike at the IN then have diver sink their ships in port?
China has a handful of special missions underwater delivery systems like this QYJ-001:
Midget submarines - this one being around 35 meters in length and 4 meters across:
WYR-001A diver propulsion system:
I can't tell you if they'd be exported or not, but this is a direction, in addition to acquiring a more credible conventional sub-surface deterrent (like the S-20), that I'd like to see the PN take.
It's really interesting, if it comes to fruition, but it's also really big. How would Pakistan launch such a weapon? it takes a special mission submarine for even Russia to launch it, as noted with the Sarov.
It can't be launched by current classes as it's too big to fit in their torpedo tubes.
No ISR or communications? How are you going to coordinate actions? Or located hostiles?
I'd put ISR and comms at the top of my list. A strong space denial capability would come a close second. (not ASAT, just jamming or directed energy weapons that could blind electro-optical sensors or disrupt electronics on remote sensing satellites).
I'd follow both of these with electronic warfare, offensive jamming and degrading of enemy electronics and defensive hardening and ECCM to ensure friendly assets work seamlessly.
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