MOSCOW, November 28. /TASS/. The Project 22350 latest frigate Admiral Golovko has deployed to the sea for the first time for shipbuilders’ sea trials, the Baltic Fleet’s press office reported on Monday.

"The Baltic Fleet’s forces are providing support for the shipbuilders’ sea trials of the Project 22350 state-of-the-art frigate Admiral Golovko. The frigate has now deployed to the Baltic Sea for the shipbuilders’ sea trials," the press office said in a statement.

The shipbuilders’ sea trials will check the operation of the frigate’s life support systems and radio-technical armament, including navigational and communications equipment, rescue means, damage control systems, ventilation and air conditioning. Specialists will inspect the operation of the frigate’s powerplant, steering gear, auxiliary mechanisms and the anchor equipment. They will test the vessel in various speed, maneuverable and vibration modes. The Baltic Fleet’s ships and support vessels and its naval aircraft are involved in the frigate’s trials, the press office specified.

Shipbuilders’ sea trials are a mandatory stage for wrapping up the construction of any ship and are held to check the operation of its systems and mechanisms at sea and their compliance with approved specifications, designs, technical descriptions and operational instructions.

Baltic naval ranges are regularly used for testing new hardware for the Russian Navy and foreign states. This effort also involves ships, support vessels, rescue forces and naval aircraft of the Russian Baltic Fleet.

The Admiral Golovko is the Project 22350 third-built and second serial-produced frigate. The Russian Northern Fleet currently operates two warships of this Project: the Admiral Gorshkov and the Admiral Kasatonov. The frigate was named after Arseny Golovko (1906-1962) who was commander of the Soviet Northern Fleet during the Soviet Union’s 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War against Nazi Germany.

Frigates of this Project carry the Kalibr-NK cruise missile system as their basic strike weapon.

Project 22350 frigates are expected to become the Russian Navy’s most advanced warships in their class. These frigates are multi-purpose combat ships capable of effectively fighting enemy surface ships, aircraft and submarines and delivering strikes against ground and coastal installations from a range of over 1,500 km.

These warships displace 4,500 tons and can accelerate to 29 knots. They are armed with Oniks and Kalibr missiles and Poliment-Redut air defense missile systems.