Key information
- A Russian navy frigate equipped with hypersonic anti-ship missiles recently crossed the English Channel.
- The ship was monitored by the Royal Navy and its passage took place in compliance with international law and international standards.
- Exercises were conducted in the Barents Sea, Norwegian Sea and North Sea as part of an extended mission.
The passage of the English Channel
A Russian navy frigate equipped with hypersonic anti-ship missiles recently crossed the English Channel. The ship, named Admiral Golovko and belonging to Russia’s Northern Fleet, carries Zircon missiles, nicknamed “aircraft carrier killers” because of their remarkable speed and destructive capacity. During its voyage, the frigate’s crew participated in counterterrorism exercises, successfully repelling simulated air and sea drone attacks from a fictitious adversary, as reported by state agencies Russians.
Monitoring and exercises
The Channel crossing took place in compliance with international law and standards, according to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense. The Royal Navy actively monitored the ship’s passage, deploying assets, including HMS Iron Duke, to track the frigate. This surveillance aims to safeguard British territorial waters, enforce maritime law and deter potentially dangerous activities.
Extended mission and naval operations
The Russian Defense Ministry said the exercises took place in the Barents Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the North Sea. Admiral Golovko embarked on his extended mission from Severomorsk, the main base of the Northern Fleet. Located on the Kola Peninsula and overlooking the Barents Sea, Severomorsk is a few hundred kilometers from the Finnish border, north of the Arctic Circle.
Key Mission Details
On Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that Admiral Golovko had crossed the narrowest point in the English Channel – the Pas de Calais – where Dover and Calais are separated by only 26.34 miles (42.40 km). . Named in honor of Admiral Arseny Golovko, famous commander of the Soviet Northern Fleet, the frigate entered service with the Russian Navy in 2023, the same year that Zircon missiles were officially integrated into naval arsenals .
Hypersonic capabilities and challenges
Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously highlighted that Zircon missiles can reach speeds nine times the speed of sound and have a range of 1,000 km. Defense think tank Rusi points out that hypersonic cruise missiles such as the Zircon pose a significant challenge to Western ships and land targets. He explains that at sea, a destroyer’s radar and electronic support measures sensors would detect a missile at a range of 12 to 14 nautical miles, giving it only 15 seconds to respond.
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