The first of two Advanced Frigates under construction by Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) for the Indian Navy, was launched on Tuesday, defence ministry said here on Wednesday. In keeping with maritime tradition, the ship was launched by Rita Sreedharan to the invocation from Atharva Veda, in the presence of Goa Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai.

The ship has been named Triput, after the mighty arrow, representing the indomitable spirit of Indian Navy and its ability to strike far and deep.

The contract for building two Triput class Advance Frigates was signed between Ministry of Defence and Goa Shipyard Limited in January, 2019. The ship is designed for combat operations against enemy surface ships, submarines and air crafts.

The Triput class ships are 124.8 m long and 15.2 m wide, with a draught of 4.5 m. Their displacement is approximately 3,600 tons and speed a maximum of 28 knots. The ships are equipped with stealth features, advanced weapon and sensors and platform management systems.

Being constructed at GSL, the Triput class of ships are follow on ships of the Teg and Talwar class ships acquired from Russia. These frigates are being constructed for the first time indigenously by an Indian shipyard. In line with the ‘ Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative, a large percentage of the equipment fit, including weapons and sensors is of indigenous origin, thereby ensuring that large scale defence production is executed by Indian manufacturing units, generating employment and capability enhancement within the country.