The new nuclear submarine "Khabarovsk" of Project 09851 has prompted the British publication Daily Mail to speak of a qualitatively new level of underwater threat. Journalists drew attention to the unusual purpose of the submarine and its ability to carry six large autonomous underwater vehicles at once.
In the Daily Mail publication, "Khabarovsk" is considered not as another nuclear submarine of the Russian fleet, but as a specialized carrier created around a specific weapon system. According to the publication, this is what makes Project 09851 particularly unusual compared to traditional multi-purpose and strategic submarines.
"Khabarovsk" is about 135 meters long and has a displacement of more than 10 thousand tons. At the same time, its design features an enlarged bow section, necessary for accommodating six "Poseidon" vehicles. Each of them is about 20 meters long and approximately two meters in diameter.
The Daily Mail specifically compares "Khabarovsk" with another Russian submarine – "Belgorod", which is also armed with "Poseidons". However, "Belgorod" can only accommodate three such vehicles. "Khabarovsk", on the other hand, was designed as a specialized vessel for their use.
It is precisely the transition from a converted carrier to a specially designed submarine that the British publication considers an important point. "Belgorod" is an adapted ship of Project 09852, while Project 09851 was initially built taking into account the requirements for accommodating the new complex.