On November 14, 2012 at 11:42 UTC the "Soyuz-2.1a” rocket-carrier was launched from Russian Plesetsk Cosmodrome. The rocket equipped with the "Fregat-M” booster orbited the "Meridian” new-generation military communications satellite. Meridian is designed to provide a communications service for sea vessels and aircraft in the Polar and Far East regions. Russia has two other satellites of this class in service.
