The Indian Navy will commission its latest multi-role stealth guided missile frigate INS Tushil, an upgraded Krivak III class frigate, at Kaliningrad in Russia on December 9.

The commissioning of INS Tushil — a 125 metre, 3900 ton ship which is a blend of Russian and Indian cutting edge technologies and best practices in warship construction — will take place at an event to be presided over bv Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and attended by many high ranking Russian and Indian government and defence officials.

INS Tushil is an upgraded Krivak III class frigate from Project 1135.6, of which six are already in service. The six frigates of this class that are already in service comprise: 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.

Upon commissioning, INS Tushil will join the ‘Sword Arm’ of the Indian Navy, the Western Fleet, under the Western Naval Command and will rank amongst the most technologically advanced frigates in the world. It will not only be a symbol of the Indian Navy’s growing capabilities, but also the resilient collaborative strength of the India-Russia partnership.

The warship’s construction was closely monitored by an Indian team of specialists from the Warship Overseeing Team stationed at Kaliningrad, under the aegis of the Embassy of India, Moscow.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the warship is the result of the continuous toil of hundreds of shipyard workers along with multiple Russian and Indian Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). The ship post construction and readiness underwent a series of extensive trials, beginning January this year, including Factory Sea Trials, State Committee Trials and lastly Delivery Acceptance Trials by a team of Indian specialists.

The trials that the warship underwent included the proving of all Russian equipment fitted onboard, including weapon firings. During the trials, the ship clocked an impressive speed of more than 30 knots. “With these trials being successfully completed, the ship would reach India in a near combat-ready condition ready to deliver its effects from the word go,” an Indian Navy spokesperson said here on Friday.

The ship’s name, Tushil, means ‘the protector shield’ and its crest represents the ‘Abhedya Kavacham’ (impenetrable shield). Along with its motto, ‘Nirbhay, Abhedya aur Balsheel’ (Fearless, Indomitable, Resolute), the ship stands as a symbol of the Indian Navy’s undying commitment to protect and safeguard the nation’s maritime frontiers.

The ship’s new design provides it with enhanced stealth features and better stability characteristics. With the collaboration of Indian naval specialists and Severnoye Design Bureau, the indigenous content of the ship has been enhanced to an impressive 26 per cent.

The major Indian OEMs involved were BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited, Bharat Electronics Limited, Keltron, Nova Integrated Systems from Tata, Elcome Marine, Johnson Controls India and many more.