The frigate Admiral Gorshkov will be the first vessel to be equipped with the weapon
The Russian frigate Admiral Gorshkov fires a Zircon missile during a drill in the Barents Sea, 2021. © Russia’s Defense Ministry / Sputnik
Russia’s naval fleet will start receiving the newest Zircon hypersonic anti-ship cruise missiles “in the coming months,” President Vladimir Putin has said.
The Russian president praised the weapon on Sunday, saying that “no obstacles” can stop the missiles.
“The Russian Armed Forces will start receiving them in the coming months,” Putin said during a Navy Day speech in St. Petersburg. “The first ship equipped with this mighty weapon will be the frigate Admiral Gorshkov,” he added.
According to Putin, the frigate’s exact deployment will be chosen “in accordance with the interest of maintaining Russia’s security.”
Putin added that Russia will defend its maritime interests “resolutely and with all its capabilities.”
The missile, which can travel up to 1,500km (932 miles) when launched from surface ships, was first tested in 2020.
READ MORE:
Putin signs new Russian naval doctrine
