[Regnum] The frigate Admiral Golovko, a carrier of hypersonic anti-ship missiles Zircon, began passing through the English Channel, the press service of the Northern Fleet reported on November 9.
"The frigate has now crossed its narrowest part, the Pas-de-Calais. The Admiral Golovko frigate's long-distance voyage began on November 2, when it left the Northern Fleet's main base, Severomorsk," the press service told TASS.
The sailors have already conducted several exercises on ship protection and defense during the passage in the waters of the Barents, Norwegian and North Seas. Since leaving Severomorsk, the frigate has already covered more than 1.5 thousand nautical miles.
The frigate Admiral Golovko is a multi-purpose ship with guided missile weapons, designed to solve problems in distant sea and ocean zones. The frigate was accepted into the Navy in 2023. In 2024, as part of the strategic command and staff exercise Okean-2024, the frigate's crew successfully carried out missile and artillery firing at sea, air and coastal targets, including the Kalibr cruise missile.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, the Northern Fleet press service previously reported that over the next few months, a detachment of ships and vessels will be engaged in long-distance missions in various areas of the World Ocean. The main objectives of the mission are to demonstrate the flag and ensure Russia's naval presence in operationally important areas of the distant ocean zone.
In June, retired US Army officer Daniel Davis said Western air defenses were unable to protect them from Russia's hypersonic Zircon missiles. Hypersonic weapons are not yet in the US military's arsenal. Russia, a leader in developing the weapon, has developed numerous examples of the missile in recent years, including the air-launched Kinzhal and the sea-launched Zircon.