The first of two additional Krivak or Talwar-class stealth frigates, Tushil, being built in Russia for the Indian Navy, was formally launched into the waters, the Navy said on Friday.
It is part of four follow-on frigates contracted by India from Russia, of which two are being built by Russia and two are under construction in India through technology transfer.
The launch of a ship from dry dock into the waters is significant, as it marks the completion of the basic construction. The advanced construction and equipping of the ship will be done when the ship is afloat.
“The seventh Indian Navy frigate of P1135.6 class was launched on October 28 at Yantar Shipyard, Kaliningrad, Russia, in the presence of D. Bala Venkatesh Varma, Indian envoy in Russia, and other senior dignitaries,” the Navy said in a statement.
“During the ceremony, the ship was formally named ‘Tushil’ by Ms. Datla Vidya Varma. Tushil is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘protector shield’,” it added.
As reported by The Hindu in August, the first of the two ships is expected to be delivered in India in mid-2023. There was approximately an eight-month delay in construction due to COVID-19 pandemic.
The basic structures of the two frigates are ready at the Yantar shipyard in Russia. The Indian Navy already operates six of these frigates weighing around 4,000 tonnes each.
The construction of these ships is based on the Indian Navy’s specific requirements to meet the entire spectrum of naval warfare in all three dimensions of air, surface and sub-surface, the statement said.
“The ships with a potent combination of state-of-the-art Indian and Russian weapons and sensors are equipped to operate in littoral and blue waters, both as a single unit and as a consort in a naval task force,” said the Navy.
The ships feature stealth technology in terms of low radar and underwater noise signatures. They will be equipped with major Indian-supplied equipment such as Surface to Surface Missiles (SAM), sonar system, surface surveillance radar, communication suite and Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) system, along with Russian SAMs and gun mounts, the Navy added.
As part of the technology transfer obligations, Indian technicians will visit the Yantar shipyard during the ongoing construction of the two frigates to familiarise themselves with the specificity of the equipment and construction.
In October 2016, India and Russia signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement for four stealth frigates, after which a $1-billion deal was signed for direct purchase. In November 2018, Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) signed a $500 mn deal with Rosoboronexport of Russia for material, design and specialist assistance to locally manufacture the two frigates and in January 2019 the contract was signed between the Ministry of Defence and the GSL.
The keel for the first ship being built by GSL was laid in January and for the second in June. The Navy had stated that the first ship from GSL will be delivered in 2026 and the second six months later. All the ships are powered by engines from Zorya Nashproekt of Ukraine.
