Moscow:
Despite the years-long war between Russia and Ukraine, Moscow and Kiev worked separately for a common cause – to manufacture an Indian Navy warship, which was handed over to New Delhi on Monday when Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Moscow for a top-level visit.
The frigate – INS Tushil – is one of two naval ships for which India placed an order with Russia in 2016. It is a Krivak III-class warship, which is an advanced stealth missile frigate. India currently operates six such warships – all manufactured in Russia.
Besides the two that is being made in Russia, two more similar ships have been ordered to be manufactured in India and will likely be manufactured at the Goa Shipyard.
What is interesting is that the primary engines – the gas turbines of these frigates – is manufactured in Ukraine. A Russian warship with a Ukrainian engine, made for India – which shares close ties with both countries.
A majority of the ships in the Indian navy fleet use gas turbines made by the Ukrainian company Zorya-Mashproekt – which is a recognised globally as a leader in marine gas turbine production.
What is unique however, is that this order has been delivered while the war is on between Russia and Ukraine, and it is significant to note that both countries have delivered the order in spite of the conflict. However, there was a bit of a challenge involved – India had to physically procure these engines from Ukraine and have them delivered to Russia before they could be installed on this warship, so it has been somewhat delayed.
ALL ABOUT THE INS TUSHIL
INS Tushil is the Indian Navy’s latest multi-role, stealth-guided missile frigate. The name ‘Tushil’ means a ‘protector shield’ and its crest represents the ‘Abhedya Kavacham’ (Impenetrable Shield). It has a motto – ‘Nirbhay, Abhedya aur Balsheel’ (Fearless, Indomitable, and Resolute). The ship stands as a symbol of the Indian Navy’s undying commitment to safeguarding the nation’s maritime frontiers.
The INS Tushil is an advanced Russian Krivak III-class warship under ‘Project 11356’.
Project 11356 is the code name for the Talwar-class frigates, which are a class of stealth, guided-missile frigates designed and built by Russia for the Indian Navy. The design for the Talwar Class frigates have been developed as an advanced version of the Admiral Grigorovich-class frigates that Russia uses. So far, six such ships have been built and delivered by Russia to India between 1999 and 2013.
The six Krivak class warships that are already in service are 3 Talwar Class ships built at Baltiysky shipyard in St. Petersburg, and three Teg Class ships constructed at the Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad.
‘INS Tushil’ will be the seventh in the series, and the first of the two upgraded, advanced warships for which the Indian government and the Indian Navy had signed a contract with Russia’s JSC Rosoboronexport, in October 2016.
The construction of the 125-metre-long warship, weighing 3,900 tonnes, was under constant monitoring by experts of India’s Warship Overseeing Team stationed permanently in Russia’s Kaliningrad throughout its construction. The warship is fitted with advanced Indian missiles, details of which are not revealed by the Indian Navy.
The warship has undergone a series of sea trials, factory sea trials, and state committee trials starting January 2024, during which it clocked an impressive speed of more than 30 knots (55 kmph). It is now being delivered to India in a combat-ready condition.
Russia is delivering the warship to India at Kaliningrad on Monday, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh along with Indian Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi will be commissioning it.
Upon commissioning, INS Tushil will join the ‘Sword Arm’ of the Indian Navy, the Western Fleet, under the Western Naval Command.
THE CHINA CHALLENGE
While the first of the two warships have been delivered on Monday, the delivery date for the second ship might take a while. The warship is an important addition to the Indian Navy which is faced with the challenge of the fast-growing Chinese Navy in the Indian Ocean.
The Chinese Navy is the fastest-growing navy in the world, and according to some reports the Chinese Navy might have already outnumbered the US Navy to become the largest naval fleet globally. Nowhere is this felt more significantly that the Indian Ocean.
While India has the geographical advantage over China in the Indian Ocean and its strategic location close to key choke points leading to it, China has the advantage in terms of number of vessels in the naval fleet.
