The latest destroyer is anticipated to enter service with the Indian Navy in mid-2023, followed by its sister ship towards the end of that year.
The Indian Navy announced on Friday the launch of the seventh frigate of the P1135.6 class at the Yantar Shipyard in Russia’s Kaliningrad, adding a substantial capability to the navy for projecting power in the Indian Ocean region.
According to a statement issued by the Indian Navy on Friday, the ship was formally named Tushil—a Sanskrit word that means guardian shield—during a ceremony attended by D Bala Venkatesh Varma, India’s ambassador to Russia, senior Russian Federation diplomats, and other authorities.
Tushil is part of a $2.5 billion deal between India’s leading weapon supplier, Russia, and the Indian Navy for four more Krivak/Talwar class stealth frigates.
On October 18, India and Russia inked a contract for the building of two ships based on an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for the construction of two Project 1135.6 ships in Russia and two ships in India at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) with technology transfer from Russia. Tushil is planned to be commissioned into the Indian Navy in mid-2023, followed by its sister ship at the end of that year, according to officials.
According to the announcement, the development of these ships is based on the Indian Navy’s particular specifications to meet the whole spectrum of naval combat in all three dimensions of air, surface, and sub-surface warfare. “The ships are outfitted with a potent combination of state-of-the-art Indian and Russian Weapons and Sensors to operate in Littoral and Blue waters, both as a single unit and as a consort in a naval task force,” according to the announcement.
They have “stealth technology,” which means they have minimal radar and underwater noise profiles. These ships are outfitted with substantial Indian-supplied weaponry, including surface-to-surface missiles, a sonar system, a surface surveillance radar, a communication suite, and an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) system, as well as Russian surface-to-air missiles and gun systems.
The new Grigorovich-class frigates will be powered by gas turbine engines supplied by Ukroboronprom’s Gas Turbine Research & Production Complex Zorya-Mashproekt in Ukraine.
Yantar Shipyard’s director general, Ilya Samarin, spoke about the shipyard’s obstacles in completing the complex shipbuilding project. He thanked the Indian government for its unwavering support and reaffirmed the shipyard’s commitment to delivering the ships on time.
D Bala Venkatesh Varma, India’s ambassador to Russia, emphasised the two countries’ long history of military-technical cooperation. Varma also praised the Yantar Shipyard’s efforts to guarantee that the ship was launched on time, despite the hurdles faced by the coronavirus outbreak.
The Indian Navy currently has six stealth frigates bought from Russia, three Talwar class and three Teg class.
also read:-https://tindu.in/india-and-cybersecurity-are-we-safe/
