Indian Frigate Sails for Sea Trials in Russia

INS Talwar

A Talwar class frigate being built for the Indian Navy at the Yantar Shipyard in Russia’s exclave of Kaliningrad departed on Thursday for sea trials, the shipyard said.

The Tarkash is the second in a series of three frigates built under a $1.6-billion contract with India. The first frigate, the Teg, was delivered to India in April 2012, while the third, the Trikand, is still under construction.

“The warship sailed from Kaliningrad to Baltiysk on Thursday,” Yantar spokesman Sergei Mikhailov said. “The first stage of sea trials is scheduled to start at the end of May.”

The spokesman said the frigate must be ready for delivery to the Indian Navy in October.

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: the INS Talwar (Sword), INS Trishul (Trident), and INS Tabar (Ax).

Rianovosti