Russia's naval expansion: the formidable Admiral Golovko frigate armed with Kalibr and Onyx missiles
This development is part of Project 22350, which plans for the Russian Navy to receive several similar frigates. Initially, the project aimed to produce dozens of these vessels, but revisions to the plan have scaled down the number. The Ukrainian conflict is primarily the reason for this change, as its financial burden impacted Russian naval expansion programs.
8:06 AM EST, January 12, 2024
Admiral Golovko Enters Service
So far, there have been three launches of this type of vessel: Admiral Golovko, Admiral Gorshkov, and Admiral Kasatonov. Five more ships are currently at various stages of construction at the Northern Shipyard in St.Petersburg.
The Admiral Golovko frigate is designed to carry up to 16 Kalibr and Onyx maneuvering missiles. The Kalibr is a weapon system comprising anti-ship, land-attack cruise missiles, and anti-submarine missiles. Notably, the P-800 Onyx is a nearly 30-foot-long supersonic maneuvering missile capable of hitting targets approximately 186 miles away.
Hypersonic 3M22 Zircon Missiles
Furthermore, Admiral Golovko can launch hypersonic 3M22 Zircon missiles. These missiles have also been highly praised for commissioning previous frigates like Admiral Gorshkov and Admiral Kasatonov.
Each missile is 30 feet long and carries a warhead weighing up to 882 pounds. It can attack land and sea targets from up to 621 miles away. Designed for speeds up to 9 Mach (around 6840 mph), the Zircon missiles' test speed has been documented at 8 Mach.
The artillery armament includes an A-130M gun with a 192 mm caliber, among other weaponry. The Admiral Golovko is defended from aerial assaults by the Poliment-Redut system with 32 missiles, capable of intercepting targets up to 93 miles away. This system is the naval equivalent of the widely-known S-350 missile system.
With dimensions exceeding 427 feet and displacing 4,960 short tons, the frigate also features a helipad and a deck hangar suitable for one helicopter.
