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Russian Navy’s latest frigate to fire Kalibr cruise missile during tests — source

Frigates of this Project carry Kalibr-NK and/or Oniks cruise missile systems as their basic strike weapons and will eventually be armed with Tsirkon hypersonic missiles

MOSCOW, April 4. /TASS/. The Russian Navy’s cutting-edge frigate Admiral Golovko will fire Kalibr-NK and Oniks cruise missiles during state testing in the Northern Fleet’s responsibility area, a source close to the Defense Ministry told TASS on Tuesday.

"The frigate Admiral Golovko arrived at Severomorsk the other day, performing a transit from the Baltic Sea. The aim of the transit is to conduct the launches of Kalibr-NK and Oniks cruise missiles during state tests," the source said.

After the cruise missile launches, the frigate will return to Severnaya Verf Shipyard (part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation) for an inspection of systems and mechanisms, following which it will be transferred to the Russian Navy, the source said.

TASS has no official confirmation of this information yet.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported on March 31 that the Admiral Golovko had arrived at the Northern Fleet’s main naval base for shipbuilders’ sea trials and state tests and test-fire guns at the Fleet’s practice ranges in the Barents Sea.

A TASS source earlier said that the frigate was set for its handover to the Russian Navy this year and will be operational in the Northern 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 Kalibr-NK and/or Oniks cruise missile systems as their basic strike weapons and will eventually be armed with Tsirkon hypersonic missiles.

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.