Russia Arms Severodvinsk Nuclear Attack Submarine; Crimea Nuclear Deployment 'Legal'

As Russia continues to strengthen its arsenal of weapons and expand its military presence, its fifth generation nuclear submarines will now be armed with underwater drones and robots in addition to conventional weapons. Russia's submarines will be capable of releasing battle robots and underwater drones if necessary.

Nikolay Novoselov, CEO of Malakhit design engineering department, told RIA-Novosti that the new nuclear submarines will be equipped with both new and contemporary weapons. The designer said Russian submarines will have "disposable" or returnable robots for communication and surveillance purposes.

He explained that the robots can be launched from the submarine and go offline before it can be remotely activated on command. The Russian submarine will have time to leave the area while the robot stays in place as a decoy and maintain a semblance of the sub.

Novoselov reiterated that equipping submarines with robots is not exclusive in Russia since the world is moving towards developing more robotic technology. He said it would take some time before deploying underwater robots becomes a common practice.

Russia is the only country with an increase in arms sales in 2014. The impressive growth in the sale of weapons is largely due to the Russian government's investment in the country's military-industrial sector to bring it the Russian military up to par the United States and other arms producers in Western Europe.

According to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the growth in the sale of Russian arms is in contrast with the declining sales of weapons-manufacturing companies in North America and Western Europe. Aude Fleurant, director of SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme, said the share of global arms sales outside of the U.S. and Western Europe has been on the rise since 2005.

The report said Russia is the second biggest arms exporter in the world with a 27 percent market share. U.S. remains the top arms exporter with 29 percent. India is Russia's major buyer of weapons followed by China and Algeria.

The Malakhit design engineering bureau has completed the building of the Severodvinsk multipurpose nuclear submarine after 20 years. The submarine has already joined the Russian naval fleet. The Severodvinsk is known as the flagship submarine of the Yasen-class subs, which is the backbone of Russia's submarine force. RT News reported that Yasen-class submarines carry Onyx and Kalibr supersonic anti-ship missiles with 533 mm torpedoes. The nuclear submarine can fire cruise missiles from eight of its vertical launching systems.

Meanwhile, a top Russian official has declared that Russia has the right to deploy nuclear weapons in Crimea. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Crimea is now part of Russia since its annexation from Ukraine. Based on the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, Russia has every right to dispose of its nuclear weapons to suit its own interests and international obligations. The LA Times reported that the Kremlin has claimed Crimea as part of Russia and President Vladimir Putin has declared in his state of the nation address that it will "forever" remain a Russian territory.