Russian Navy frigate Admiral Golovko equipped with new generation hypersonic cruise missiles has conducted drills in the English Channel and is carrying out tasks in the Atlantic Ocean, Russian news agencies reported on Tuesday.
The crew of the frigate, equipped with Zircon hypersonic anti-ship missiles, conducted counter-terrorism drills, repelling air and sea drone attacks of a mock enemy, Russian state agencies reported.
“The Northern Fleet frigate Admiral Golovko has completed its passage through the English Channel and is currently continuing to carry out missions in the designated areas of the Atlantic Ocean,” RIA state news agency cited a statement from the Russian Northern Fleet‘s press service.
This is the first long-distance voyage of the multipurpose frigate since it was accepted into the Russian Navy in December 2023. The ship left its main base in the Russian north on November 2.
Just before going into service the then Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the warship will be equipped with Zircon missiles.
The sea-based Zircon hypersonic missiles have a range of 900 km, and can travel at several times the speed of sound, making it difficult to defend against them.
On orders from Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2023, Russia started mass supplies of Zircon missiles as part of the country’s efforts to boost its nuclear forces.
Along with the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle which entered combat duty in 2019, the Zircon forms the centerpiece of Russian armed forces’ hypersonic arsenal.
Russian planners see the weapon as a way to pierce increasingly sophisticated U.S. missile defences which Putin has warned could one day shoot down Russian nuclear missiles.
The frigate Admiral Golovko is the lead ship of the Admiral Gorshkov-class and was commissioned into the Russian Navy last year. The new class of frigates is a successor to the Krivak-class of frigates. India too operates the Krivak class of warships, locally known as the Talwar-class.
Team Bharatshakti
(With inputs from Reuters)
