Putin orders navy frigate armed with hypersonic missiles to Mediterranean Sea

 

The Russian navy's guided missile frigate "Admiral Gorshkov" arrives in the port city of Qingdao, in east China's Shandong province, on April 21, 2019. (Zhu Zheng/Xinhua/Getty Images)

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a frigate, the "Admiral Gorshkov," to be sent into combat service on Wednesday.

The ship will undertake a long-range sea voyage across the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea, reported Russian state media outlet TASS, citing Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

The frigate is equipped with “the latest Zircon hypersonic missile system, which has no analogs - a sea-based hypersonic system - as well as other weapons of the latest generations,” Putin said, speaking via video link with Shoigu and the ship's commander, Igor Krokhmal.

“I am sure that such powerful weapons will make it possible to reliably protect Russia from potential external threats and will help ensure the national interests of our country,” Putin added.

According to Shoigu, the frigate will “conduct exercises” with Zircon hypersonic missiles.

“I am very happy, congratulations! This is great joint work, which ended with a good, expected result,” Putin said before ordering the frigate to “start completing the tasks.”