A Russian frigate equipped with a new generation of Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles carried out maneuvers in the English Channel and is carrying out tasks in the Atlantic Ocean, official Russian press agencies reported this Tuesday, November 12, 2024, relayed by Reuters.
The frigate's crew took part in anti-terrorist exercises, repelling simulated air and marine drone attacks, they said.
Citing a statement from the press service of the Northern Fleet, the RIA agency said that the frigate Admiral Golovko “completed its crossing of the English Channel and is currently continuing its journey to carry out missions in designated areas of the Atlantic Ocean”.
Missiles going at Mach 9
This is the first long-distance voyage carried out by the frigate since it joined the Russian Navy in December 2020, the TASS agency reported. According to BFMTV the ship left the roadstead of Severomorsk, in north-west Russia, on 1is last November.
Before its entry into service, the Minister of Defense at the time, Sergei Shoigu, had affirmed that it would be equipped with Zircon missiles, new generation projectiles capable of reaching the speed of Mach 9, or more than 10,000 kilometers. per hour, towards naval or land targets.
In January 2023, the frigate Gorchkov had already been seen off the coast of Boulogne-sur-Mer in the Strait of Pas-de-Calais.
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