Indian Navy’s Russian-manufactured guided missile frigate INS Tamal will be commissioned into the force at Russia’s coastal city of Kaliningrad on July 1. The ship has 26 per cent indigenous components, including the BrahMos long-range cruise missile for targeting both at sea and land, officials said.
INS Tamal would be the eighth Krivak class frigates to be inducted from Russia over the past two decades. The warship has been built at Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad, and is the last such platform to be inducted from a foreign source, the officials said.
The commissioning ceremony will be presided over by Vice Admiral Sanjay J Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command. Several high-ranking Indian and Russian defence officials will attend the event.INS Tamal is the second ship of the Tushil Class, which are the upgraded versions of their predecessors, Talwar and Teg classes.
India, as part of the broader contract for Tushil class, is also building two similar frigates called the INS Triput class at Goa Shipyard Ltd with transfer of technology and design assistance from the Russian side.
By the conclusion of this series of ships, Indian Navy will be operating 10 ships with similar capabilities and commonality in equipment, weapon and sensor fit over four different classes, the officials said.
Tamal’s construction was closely overseen by an Indian team of specialists from the Warship Overseeing Team stationed at Kaliningrad.
At the Naval headquarters, the project was steered by the Directorate of Ship Production under the Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition.
The ship has significant upgrades in its arsenal in comparison to its predecessors, such as vertical launched surface-to-air missiles, improved 100 MM gun, heavyweight torpedoes, urgent-attack anti-submarine rockets, and a host of surveillance and fire control radars and systems.
The combat capability of the ship is augmented by a host of network-centric warfare capabilities and advanced electronic warfare suite, Navy Spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said.
“Tamal punches well above its weight with a very high tonnage to firepower ratio, extended endurance, and a top speed in excess of 30 knots,” he said.
The crew, comprising over 250 personnel, has undergone rigorous ashore as well as afloat training in extremely challenging winter conditions of St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad, he said.
Tamal has successively completed extensive sea trials undertaken over three months.
The ship’s name, Tamal, symbolises the mythical sword used for combat by Indra, the king of the gods.
The ship’s mascot is inspired by the congruence of the ‘Jambavant’ — the immortal bear king of Indian mythology and the Russian national animal, the Eurasian brown bear.
