MOSCOW- The Russian guided-missile frigate Admiral Essen is designed to take part in anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare on the high seas, and is equipped for neutralizing enemy aircraft, both independently and as an escort ship, Sputnik has reported.
March 13 saw the beginning of a Mediterranean mission by the Russian frigate Admiral Essen, which is equipped with Kalibr-NK cruise missiles, according to Ria Novosti.
"The frigate Admiral Essen of [Russia's] Black Sea Fleet has started its first voyage in 2018. In accordance with the rotation plan, the Admiral Essen is currently en route from Sevastopol to the Black Sea link>straits. For the warship's crew it is the first mission to the distant sea zone this year," Black Sea Fleet spokesman Vyacheslav Trukhachev told Sputnik.
Apart from the Kalibr missiles, the frigate is armed with a Shtil-1 medium-range surface-to-air missile system, the 100mm A 190 shipboard automatic artillery gun, an antisubmarine rocket launcher and torpedoes.