Russia’s Admiral Golovko frigate, armed with hypersonic Zircon missiles, has departed on its first long-distance voyage, the Northern Fleet’s press office has reported. Put into operation last year, the vessel represents a new generation of Russian warships.
According to the Northern Fleet’s statement, cited by TASS, the Admiral Golovko and a support tanker set out on Friday, heading toward the Atlantic Ocean by way of the Barents Sea.
“For the frigate, which was incorporated into the Russian Navy last December, this is the first long-distance voyage,” officials noted.
The statement said that the mission, aimed at ensuring the Russian Navy’s presence in key areas of the global ocean, would last several months.
TASS quoted the vessel’s captain, Andrey Slavin, as saying that the frigate as well as its equipment and weaponry, including high-precision missiles, have already proven their mettle during its service with the Russian Navy.
In September, the frigate took part in the massive Ocean-2024 drills, which included maneuvers in the Pacific and Arctic Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean, Caspian, and Baltic Seas. The Navy exercises were reportedly the largest of their kind in three decades.
During the drills, the Admiral Golovko fired 130mm naval guns at a target 10km away, and deployed missiles.
The Russian Defense Ministry at the time highlighted the frigate’s role as a ship-destroyer, thanks to its vertical launch system, which is compatible with the Zircon hypersonic cruise missile.
The weapon “can with certainty pierce through any modern or near-future anti-missile system,” the statement claimed.