MOSCOW, July 10. /TASS/: The Admiral Golovko, the Russian Navy’s third Admiral Gorshkov-class frigate (Russian designation Project 22350), will become the first carrier of Tsirkon hypersonic missiles, a defense industry source told TASS on Saturday.
"It is planned that Admiral Golovko will become the first standard carrier of Tsirkons," the source said.
The Admiral Golovko, the third Project 22350 frigate, was laid on February 1, 2012 and floated out on May 22, 2020. The Admiral Gorshkov and the Admiral Kasatonov frigates are already operational. Another six frigates are under construction.
Frigates of project 22350 are designated to fight submarines and warships in oceans and seas and to repel air attacks both independently and within formations. The hull of the frigates is flush-decked. It has a three-island superstructure, one mast-turret and one steel funnel. Stealth technologies were used in the construction to make the warship practically invisible for the radars of the potential adversary. Full displacement is 5000 tons, the length is 135 meters. The speed is 29 knots. The crew comprises over 170 men. Diesel gas-turbine power plant has a capacity of 65000 horsepower. It can carry Ka-27 helicopter or its modifications.
The main weapons comprise two 16-cell universal vertical launchers 3S-14 for Kalibr missiles. The Admiral Gorshkov, the project’s lead ship, is taking part in Tsirkon trials.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Tsirkon missiles, capable of developing a speed of about Mach 9 and with striking range capability exceeding 1,000 km, will enter combat duty in Russia soon.
