Russian warship armed with hypersonic missiles to join drills with China, S. Africa

A Russian warship armed with a next-generation hypersonic cruise weapon will take part in a joint exercise with the navies of China and South Africa in February, Reuters informs, citing TASS.

It was the first official mention of the participation by the frigate, "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov," which is armed with Zircon missiles.

The missiles reportedly fly at nine times the speed of sound, with a range of more than 1,000 km (620 miles). They form the centrepiece of its hypersonic arsenal, along with the Avangard glide vehicle that entered combat duty in 2019.

"'Admiral Gorshkov' ... will go to the logistic support point in Syria's Tartus, and then take part in joint naval exercises with the Chinese and South African navies," said an unnamed Russian defence source.

The South African National Defence Force has recently said that the drills, to run from February 17 to 27 near the port city of Durban and Richards Bay, aim "to strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia and China."