The stealth frigate Tushil, built in a Kaliningrad shipyard, is the first of four such vessels ordered by New Delhi
India’s new multi-role stealth guided missile frigate, INS Tushil, built for the Indian Navy in Russia, was commissioned on Monday at an official ceremony in Kaliningrad. The ceremony was presided over by Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and the chiefs of the Indian and Russian navies, Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi and Admiral Aleksandr Moiseyev.
INS Tushil (which translates as ‘the protector shield’) is an upgraded Krivak III class frigate of the Project 1135.6 designation. Six such frigates are already in service in the Indian Navy, three of which are Talwar class ships built at the Baltisky shipyard in St. Petersburg, while three were built at the Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad.
Tushil will be the seventh vessel of Project 1135.6 in the Indian Navy, showcasing the high effectiveness of these ships and India’s trust in the Russian defense industry, according to an official statement from United Shipbuilding Corporation.
The ship’s construction was closely monitored by an Indian team of specialists, according to Indian Defense Ministry officials. Post construction, the frigate underwent a series of extensive trials, beginning in January of this year.
“These trials included the proving of all Russian equipment fitted onboard, including weapon firings. During the trials, the ship clocked an impressive speed of more than 30 knots. With these trials being successfully completed, the ship would reach India in a near combat-ready condition ready to deliver its effects from the word go,” New Delhi said in a statement on Friday.
Russian officials confirmed that INS Tushil had successfully completed acceptance trials with an Indian commission, and that its crew had undergone training in Russia.
Upon commissioning, Tushil will join the ‘Sword Arm’ of the Indian Navy, the Western Fleet, under the Western Naval Command and will rank among the most technologically advanced frigates in the world. “It will not only be a symbol of Indian Navy’s growing capabilities, but also the resilient collaborative strength of the India-Russia partnership,” New Delhi sated.
The frigate designed by Russia’s Severnoye Design Bureau (part of United Shipbuilding Corporation) is 125 meters long and weighs 3,900 tonnes. The ship represents an “impressive blend of Russian and Indian cutting-edge technologies and best practices in warship construction,” according to the Indian military.
INS Tushil is the first of the two warships contracted by India in October 2016. The second frigate under the contract, INS Tamal, is currently undergoing testing in the Baltic Sea and is set to join the Indian Navy in 2025, Moscow noted. Additionally, two more vessels from this project are being built with Russian assistance at Goa Shipyard Limited in India, with technology transfer from Russia.
Cooperation between the two countries on the project “aligns with the principles of the Make in India program” spearheaded by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Russian Defense Ministry asserted, adding that the share of Indian shipbuilding systems is gradually increasing. INS Tushil is equipped with the BrahMos supersonic missile system developed and produced by the Russian-Indian joint venture BrahMos Aerospace. New Delhi previously said that indigenous content of the ship has been enhanced “to an impressive 26%” and the number of made-in-India systems have more than doubled.
“The raising of the Indian flag on the Tushil ship marks another important milestone in Russian-Indian military-technical cooperation, which fully aligns with the principles of the Make in India program,” said Alexander Mikheev, head of arms export agency Rosoboronexport. He added that Rosoboronexport is currently engaged in approximately 10 joint naval projects in India and is discussing several new initiatives.
