What you need to know: The Russian Navy has deployed its advanced Project 22350 frigate, Admiral Golovkomarking a significant addition to its naval capabilities amid improvements to older vessels.

-As the first frigate equipped with the Tsirkon hypersonic missile, Admiral Golovko poses a formidable threat with versatile strike capabilities, anti-submarine warfare (ASW) prowess and advanced missile systems, including the Kalibr-NK and Oniks cruise missiles.

-Despite his need for support from the tanker. Vyazma during long missions, Golovko demonstrates Russia’s emphasis on maintaining naval presence and projecting power in strategic regions, bolstering the country’s maritime ambitions in the Atlantic and beyond.

Russia’s most dangerous frigate: Admiral Golovko heads to the Atlantic

Even as the flagship aircraft carrier of the Russian Navy Admiral Kuznetsov and Kirov class battle cruiser Admiral Najimov Both sidelined and undergoing reshuffles, the Kremlin this week deployed what could be its most dangerous warship. Instead of a floating joke like your aircraft carrier or an obsolete ship, which really is the best way to describe a battlecruiser in the 21st century, the Russian Navy’s Project 22350 frigate Admiral Golovko He is a surface combatant worth fearing.

Russian state media Tass reported on friday that Admiral Golovko – the third Admiral Gorskhkov class The guided-missile frigate, named after Soviet Navy Admiral Arseny Grigoryevich Golovko, began its first overseas deployment.

“Today a group of ships of the Northern Fleet left the Severomorsk roadstead and embarked on its long-distance deployment. The ships of the group headed to the Atlantic Ocean through the designated areas in the Barents Sea. The group includes the frigate Admiral Golovko carrying long-range precision weapons and the medium tanker Vyazma. For the frigate accepted for service in the Russian Navy in December last year, this is the first long-distance deployment,” the press office of the Russian Navy’s Northern Fleet said in a press release.

Showing the flag of Saint Andrew

The Kremlin has published the travel route or planned port visits, but in the coming months, Admiral Golovko will participate in a long-distance deployment aimed at “displaying the Russian flag and ensuring Russia’s naval presence in operationally important areas of the World Ocean,” Tass said.

The crews of the frigate and the tanker. they have been preparing for this deployment for several months, and in May conducted surface-to-air missile launching exercises and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) exercises in the Barents Sea.

“During the period of the ship’s operation within the Fleet forces, it was deployed at sea on numerous occasions and the frigate’s equipment and armament have proven their reliability,” Frigata said. Admiral Golovko Commander, Captain 2nd Rank Andrey Slavin. “The frigate has successfully carried out launch tests of all types of weapons, including long-range precision missiles. Currently, the crew is ready to fully fulfill all assigned objectives in any area of ​​​​the World Ocean.”

The vessel was laid down in February 2012 and launched in May 2020, and was the first ship in its class to be equipped with a domestic engine, rather than one imported from Ukraine. Admiral Golovko It entered service in the Russian Navy on December 25, 2023, in the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Small but capable Russian warship

Designated as frigatesProject 22350 warships displace 5,400 tons fully loaded and can reach speeds of 29.5 knots. The warships carry a crew of 210 sailors but have an autonomy of only 30 days, so Admiral Golovko will undertake the trip around the world accompanied by the oil tanker Vyazma.

Despite the apparent Achilles’ heel of having to rely on the tanker, the Admiral Gorskhkov-class guided missile frigates should still be considered highly capable warships.

Project 22350 frigates are designed for multiple roles and are capable of executing long-range strikes, conducting anti-submarine warfare (ASW), and carrying out larger ship escort missions. The frigates are armed with Kalibr-NK and Oniks. cruise missile systems as basic attack weapons and each has sixteen (2 x 8) 3S14 VLS cells.

VLS cells can also be used to launch the Otvet anti-submarine missile. Additionally, the frigates are equipped with thirty-two (4 x 8) Redut VLS cells that can launch the 9M96 and updated versions of surface-to-air missiles. Future ships will see that number double to thirty-two (4 x 8) 3S14 VLS cells, turning the frigates into floating missile trucks.

Other armaments include a pair of Palash Close-In Weapon Systems (CIWS), each with 6-barrel 30mm Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-6-30 rotary cannons; and 2 x 4 330 mm torpedo tubes for the Paket-NK anti-torpedo/anti-submarine torpedoes.

Besides, Admiral Golovko It is the first frigate of its class armed with the Tsirkon (Zircon) hypersonic missile. That could make it a fearsome adversaryand one that should be taken seriously.

Author’s experience and knowledge: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a writer living in Michigan. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites with more than 3,200 articles published over a twenty-year career in journalism. He writes regularly about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Pedro is also a Contributing writer for Forbes and Liquidation works. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can send an email to the author: (email protected).

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