Russia Completes Final Trials of Indian Frigate

Krivak Class Russian Navy

The Yantar shipyard in Russia's Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad has completed the final tests of a missile frigate for the Indian navy, the company’s spokesman Sergei Mikhailov said o Tuesday.

Russia and India signed a $1.6 billion contract on construction of three modified Krivak III class (also known as Talwar class) guided missile frigates for India in 2006. The first frigate, the Teg, was scheduled for delivery in April 2011, but funding shortfalls have delayed the work.

Two other Talwar class frigates, the Tarkash and the Trikand, are at various stages of construction and testing at the Yantar shipyard, and their delivery dates are unknown.

The new frigates are each armed with eight BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles.

They are also equipped with a 100-mm gun, a Shtil surface-to-air missile system, two Kashtan air-defense gun/missile systems, two twin 533-mm torpedo launchers, and an antisubmarine warfare (ASW) helicopter.

Russia has previously built three Talwar class frigates for India - INS Talwar (Sword), INS Trishul (Trident), and INS Tabar (Axe).

Rianovosti