Russian warship with hypersonic missiles arrives for drills with South Africa and China
Image: ROGAN WARD/Reuters
Russia's flagship frigate equipped with new generation hypersonic cruise missiles has arrived in Richards Bay for exercises that will include China, Russia's RIA state news agency reported on Wednesday.
South Africa is due to launch the joint exercises in KwaZulu-Natal on Friday. It called the drills routine, but they have fuelled domestic criticism and fears they could endanger relations with Western partners.
The beginning of the exercises coincides with the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and follows Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to suspend its last major nuclear arms control treaty with the US
The ship, named The Admiral Gorshkov of the Fleet of the Soviet Union, arrived at Richards Bay “performing the tasks of a long-range voyage”, RIA reported, citing a statement from the Russian Northern Fleet.
The Gorshkov warship, sent from Russia on January 4, carries the Zircon missiles which have a range of 900km and can travel at several times the speed of sound, making it difficult to defend against them.
In late January, the ship tested its strike capabilities in the western Atlantic Ocean.
Reuters