Barents Sea
Newest frigate trained anti-aircraft, anti-drone shootings
A target missile was launched from the Rybachy Peninsula on the east side of the Varanger fjord which forms the maritime border between Russia and Norway.
Frigate Admiral Golovko is out in the Barents Sea exercising Russia’s new Poliment-Redut surface-to-air system. A video from the shootings was released by the Northern Fleet on Wednesday.
The weapons are designed for the Gorshkov class frigates, of which the Russian navy so far has deployed three of with the Northern Fleet in Severomorsk. The Poliment-Redut system makes the frigates able to down cruise missiles and ballistic missiles at a distance of hundreds of kilometres.
The crew on board Admiral Golovko also conducted training to repel attacks by UAVs, but no further details were given.
Controlling the airspace outside the Kola Peninsula is a core mission for the Northern Fleet in case of escalating conflict with the West. Russia's ballistic missile submarines are based in Gadzhiyevo on the coast to the Barents Sea.
According to the Northern Fleet, a target missile was launched from a BAL-complex rolled out to the coast of the Rybachy Peninsula, an area frequently used by the military to train coastal air-defense and anti-ship weapons.
On blue-sky days, the Norwegian town of Vardø is possible to see across the waters to the west of Rybachy Peninsula.
A recent study made in collaboration between the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment (FFI), Nord University and the Barents Observer of Russian NOTAMs (Notice to Airmen) in Norwegian EEZ shows that more of the Northern Fleet’s exercises takes place across the maritime border in the Barents Sea north of the Varanger fjord.
The article is published in the Scandinavian Journal of Military Studies.
The Admiral Golovko is the newest of Russia's three Gorshkov-class frigates. The warship was commissioned in December last year and came north to Severomorsk in January 2024.
In September, a Northern Fleet exercise in the maritime border areas in the Barents Sea caused trouble for a small Norwegian fishing vessel that was out to secure its catch. When the fishermen ignored the warnings, a larger Russia warship sailed up and forced the Norwegians to leave the area.
The incident happened in international waters, but within the Norwegian Exclusive Economic Zone.
