According to information published by the Russian press agency TASS, on May 13, 2021, the Russian Navy Northern Fleet’s Project 22350 lead frigate Admiral Gorshkov has started to sail to Severodvinsk in north Russia and will conduct the final stage of hypersonic missiles trials, the Russian Defense Ministry’s press office said.
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Russian Navy Admiral Gorshkov frigate has already conducted a firing test of a hypersonic missile in October 2020. (Picture source Russia MoD)
“The ship has gone to the Barents Sea and sailed eastward along the coast of the Kola Peninsula. The frigate is expected to arrive at the White Sea naval base on May 13. While in Severodvinsk, the ship will take part in the final stages of the trials of a prospective missile weapon,” the press office said.
In October 2020, the Admiral Gorshkov frigate successfully fired a Tsirkon hypersonic missile against a seaborne target set up in the Barents Sea. The missile covered a distance of 450 km (280 mi). The maximum altitude of its trajectory was 28 km (17 mi). The flight lasted 4.5 minutes. The missile reached the speed of over Mach 8.
In November 2020, the frigate deployed in the White Sea launched a Tsirkon missile at a complex seaborne target in the Barents Sea. The missile covered a distance of 450 km. In December 2020, Admiral Gorshkov fired a Tsirkon missile against a coastal target at a distance of more than 350 km (217 mi).
The Admiral Gorshkov is a class of frigates built by Severnaya Verf OJSC for the Russian Navy. The ship is armed with 16 UKSK VLS (Vertical Launching Systems) cells for Kalibr, Oniks or Zircon anti-ship cruise missiles as well as 32 Redut VLS cells for 9M96, 9M96M, 9M96D/9M96DM(M2), and/or quad-packed 9M100 surface-to-air missiles.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Admiral Gorshkov frigate will be used in 2021 to test a hypersonic weapon. A source in the defense industry told TASS in March that the Tsirkon hypersonic missile had successfully completed flight development tests on a ship. The state trials will start in May-June and several launches will be made.
