MOSCOW, November 21. /TASS/. The cutting-edge frigate Admiral Golovko that will carry Tsirkon hypersonic missiles is undergoing state trials, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Tuesday.

"The frigate Admiral Golovko intended to carry Tsirkon hypersonic missiles is currently undergoing state trials," Shoigu said at a Defense Ministry board meeting.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported on March 31 that the frigate Admiral Golovko had arrived at the Northern Fleet’s main naval base for shipbuilders’ sea trials and state tests and for test firings at the Fleet’s naval practice ranges in the Barents Sea. A source close to the defense industry told TASS earlier that the cutting-edge frigate was set to join the Navy this year.

The Admiral Golovko is the Project 22350 third-built and second serial-produced frigate. The Project 22350 lead and first serial-built frigates Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov and Admiral of the Fleet Kasatonov are now operational in a formation of the Northern Fleet’s missile ships. All the three frigates have been built at the Severnaya Verf Shipyard in St. Petersburg in northwestern Russia.

Frigates of this Project carry Kalibr-NK and Oniks cruise missile systems as their basic strike weapons. The frigate Admiral Gorshkov took part in the testing of Tsirkon hypersonic missiles.