More than a week after it was commissioned, INS Tushil, the latest multi-role stealth guided missile frigate of the Indian Navy, has set sail from Kaliningrad, Russia for India, marking the beginning of her maiden operational deployment.

INS Tushil (F 70), which commenced its journey from Kaliningrad, Russia for India on Tuesday, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in the presence of Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia on December 9.

A 125 metre, 3900 ton INS Tushil is a blend of Russian and Indian cutting edge technologies and best practices in warship construction

The ship is an upgraded Krivak III class frigates of the Project 1135.6 of which, six are already in service – three Talwar class ships, built at Baltiysky shipyard, St. Petersburg, and three follow-on Teg class ships, built at Yantar shipyard, Kaliningrad.

INS Tushil, the seventh in the series, is the first of the two upgraded additional follow-on ships, the contract for which was signed in October 2016 between JSC Rosoboronexport, Indian Navy and the Government of India.

INS Tushil is designed for blue water operations across the spectrum of naval warfare in all four dimensions air, surface, underwater and electromagnetic.

It is armed with a range of advanced weapons, including thejointly-developed Brahmos supersonic cruise missiles, vertically-launched Shtil Surface-to-Air Missiles with enhanced ranges, upgraded medium-range anti-air and surface gun with advanced stealth features, optically-controlled close-range rapid fire gun system, anti-submarine torpedoes and rockets and advanced electronic warfare and communication suite.

INS Tushil will traverse the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, and finally, the Indian Ocean, making port calls at several friendly foreign countries along the way.

The maiden deployment of INS Tushil would involve key charter of Indian Navy, namely, Diplomatic, military, and constabulary activities.

The ship will carry out joint patrolling and maritime partnership exercises with a number of navies en route, including piracy hotspots in the region.

During her port calls, the ship will undertake capability-building activities with host Navies and hold interactions with senior military and government leadership. The port calls will also serve to engage with the Indian diaspora spread across the region.