The frigate “Admiral of the Soviet Union Fleet Gorshkov” entered combat service. According to the statement on the Kremlin website, Russian President Vladimir Putin also attended the ceremony.
“Today we have an important, if not important, event: the frigate Admiral Gorshkov embarks on a long-distance sea voyage. But there is nothing unusual here: it is a common thing, but this time the ship is equipped with the latest Zircon hypersonic missile system, which has no analogues – this is a sea-based hypersonic system – and other weapons of the latest generations, ”Putin said via video link.
He also thanked the experts of the military-industrial complex of Russia, who developed and began mass production of Zircon, with which Admiral Gorshkov was armed.
According to Putin, the Russian authorities plan to continue to develop the combat potential of the Armed Forces and to produce advanced weapons and equipment models that will “protect” the country.
Also, Vladimir Putin wished the frigate crew “good luck in their service for the good of the Fatherland.”
After Putin, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu took the floor. He said the frigate with hypersonic missiles embarked on a long sea voyage in the “Atlantic and Indian Oceans and the Mediterranean”.
The head of the Ministry of Defense also spoke about the tactical and technical characteristics of the ship.
He noted that Admiral Gorshkov was armed with guided missiles and could carry out “decisive and powerful attacks on the enemy at sea and on land”.
“At the same time, a feature of the Zircon hypersonic missiles is the ability to reliably overcome any modern advanced air defense system – missile defense. “The missile’s flight speed is over Mach nine and its range is over a thousand kilometers,” he said.
According to the minister, the frigate will focus its efforts on “to counter Russia’s threats, to ensure regional peace and stability together with friendly countries”. Exercises will also be held – the crew will train the use of hypersonic Zircons and long-range cruise missiles in “various conditions”.
Finally, Admiral Gorshkov’s commander, First Class Captain Igor Krokhmal, gave his report.
“The ship has gone through a full cycle of preparation for the expedition. The ship is loaded with ammunition for missiles, air defense systems, torpedo guns and artillery of the Zircon and Caliber complexes. The crew of the ship is ready to perform combat service tasks,” he reported.
Putin wished the crew of Captain Krokhmal and Gorshkov “seven feet below the spine.”
Zircon is the world’s first domestic hypersonic cruise missile capable of maneuvering in flight. According to the RF Armed Forces, Zircons can destroy both ground and ground targets.
“Admiral of the Soviet Union Fleet Gorshkov” is a multipurpose frigate, the lead ship of project 22350. In 2006 St. It was built at the Northern Shipyard in St. Petersburg and was launched in 2010. The readiness of the ship at the time of launching was 40% and the rest of the work was done on the rigging wall of the shipyard.
According to a number of estimates, the cost of building the frigate was 18 billion rubles. After numerous tests and improvements, the Andreevsky flag was hoisted on the ship in July 2018 and became part of the Russian Navy.
In addition to various artillery and anti-aircraft installations, the frigate carries missile weapons and anti-submarine missiles. Air support to Admiral Gorshkov is provided by an unmanned aerial vehicle and a Ka-27PL anti-submarine helicopter located at the stern of the ship.
During its service in 2019, the frigate made its first long-distance sea voyage – a worldwide voyage with the passage of the Suez and Panama Canals. In 2020, a Zircon hypersonic missile was launched from Admiral Gorshkov during the tests and hit a ground target at the training ground.
The frigate was named after the Soviet naval commander and organizer of the nuclear missile fleet, the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy and the Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR, twice Hero of the Soviet Union Sergei Gorshkov.