MOSCOW, March 7. /TASS/. The Russian Navy will receive two Project 22350 frigates by late 2020 that will feature a new antiaircraft missile/artillery system with several types of missiles, including a long-distance air defense missile, Russia’s Defense Ministry Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday.

"The third thematic issue is devoted to developing an antiaircraft missile/artillery system and a long-distance antiaircraft missile. By late 2020, the Navy will receive two most advanced Project 22350 frigates armed with the Kalibr and Oniks modern strike complexes," the defense minister said during a conference call.

"Air defense for these ships will be provided by a new antiaircraft missile/artillery system with several types of missiles," Shoigu said during a live broadcast of Rossiya-24 TV Channel.

Over 60 launches of these missiles have been made at the naval ranges of the Baltic and Northern Fleets, and also at the Kapustin Yar training range in the Astrakhan Region in south Russia and now state trials of a promising long-range antiaircraft missile are under way, the defense minister said.

"As a whole, the implementation of these two projects will help develop weapons with unique combat capabilities. The Defense Ministry expects these weapons to be delivered to troops soon," Shoigu said.

"Today we’ll discuss the results of trials aboard the lead frigate 22350," Shoigu said.

The Russian Defense Ministry expects to receive a new shipborne antiaircraft missile system in the imminent future, Shoigu said.

The Project 22350 lead frigate Admiral Gorshkov was laid down in early 2006 and put afloat in the autumn of 2010. The ship started undergoing trials in November 2014. The frigate is expected to be delivered to the Russian Navy in late July this year.

The second Project 22350 frigate Admiral Kasatonov was floated out in 2014. The third frigate Admiral Golovko is expected to be put afloat in 2017.

The Project 22350 frigate has a displacement of 4,500 tons and a speed of 29 knots. The frigate is armed with Oniks (NATO reporting name: SS-N-26 Strobile) and Kalibr (SS-N-27 Sizzler) missiles and the Poliment-Redut air defense missile system.