Admiral Gorshkov

The Admiral Gorshkov class, also known as Project 22350, is one of Russia's most important post-Soviet surface combatant programs. Severnoye Design Bureau states that work on the project began in 2003 and that the lead ship was laid down in 2006, making the class a long-running symbol of Russian naval renewal.

ONI describes the Gorshkov class as a multi-mission missile frigate for air, surface, and submarine warfare roles. It was intended for operations in close, distant, and oceanic maritime zones, which gives the class a significance beyond coastal defense.

For HiWars, this page should explain both the aspiration and the constraint. Project 22350 shows Russia's desire to field modern blue-water combatants, but its schedule, industrial challenges, and propulsion dependencies also reveal the limits of post-Soviet Russian shipbuilding.

Severnoye describes Project 22350 as fitted with integrated weapon systems, radar and optical-electronic sensors, sonars, a modern combat management system, electronic warfare, jamming, and communication systems. The design also includes aviation support for a helicopter.

This makes the class a compact multi-mission combatant rather than a simple patrol frigate. Its value lies in combining strike, air-defense, anti-submarine, and command functions in a ship Russia can build in larger numbers than legacy cruisers or destroyers.

Public details about exact missile loads, radar performance, and combat-system maturity should be handled carefully. The most reliable conclusion is that Project 22350 is central to Russia's effort to replace older Soviet large surface combatants with smaller but more modern missile ships.

The Gorshkov class has been affected by long build timelines, post-launch fitting-out delays, weapons integration issues, and propulsion supply problems. ONI noted that cost overruns, weapon performance issues, and marine gas turbine acquisition problems could reduce numbers or extend the construction schedule.

That context matters because modern naval power depends on repeatable production. One advanced frigate is useful; a steady class of ships that can be crewed, maintained, modernized, and distributed across fleets is much more important.

HiWars should therefore track hull status, production batches, propulsion changes, missile integration, and fleet assignment. The real story of Project 22350 is the gap between Russian naval requirements and the industrial capacity to meet them.