Russia's first Project 22350 frigate was floated out at the Severnaya Verf shipyard in St. Petersburg on Friday.

The Admiral Gorshkov frigate will be able to execute long-range strike, anti-submarine and escort missions in remote areas.

However, it will be some time yet before it enters service because the ship is only 40% complete, officials said.

The next Gorshkov-class frigate, the Admiral Kasatonov, is under construction and expected to be launched in 2012.

The Russian Navy will receive up to 10 new ocean-going frigates in the next 10 years, a Defense Ministry source said.

The Russian Navy needs between 20 and 30 such frigates, which will be the 21st century's main ocean-going surface ship.

The Admiral Gorshkov has a displacement of 4,500 tons, a speed of 29 knots, a range of 4000 nm at 14 knots, and endurance of 15 days.

It has a crew of 210 and an assortment of weaponry, including a 130 mm A-192 gun, a Kashtan close-in weapon system (CIWS), eight Oniks 3M55 (SS-N-26) anti-ship missiles, the Shtil I (SA-N-12 "Grizzly") medium range antiaircraft missile complex, four 533mm torpedo tubes, RPK-9 Medvedka-VE (SS-N-29) anti-submarine rockets, and 24 Uragan SAM missiles.

It also carries a Ka-27 or Ka-32 helicopter.

MOSCOW, October 29 (RIA Novosti)