The Indian Navy is going to commission its latest warship, INS Tushil, on December 9 at Kaliningrad, Russia. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be the chief guest and will be present at the event with other senior officials of the Indian and Russian government and defence.
INS Tushil is a multi-role stealth-guided missile frigate upgraded from the Krivak III class under Project 1135.6. It is the seventh warship in this series and the first of two more additional frigates as per the agreement between India and Russia signed in 2016. The ship was built at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad and marks one of the significant collaborations of Indian and Russian engineering excellence.
The 125-meter-long, 3,900-tonne ship is equipped with state-of-the-art stealth features and cutting-edge technology. Indian firms, including BrahMos Aerospace, Bharat Electronics Limited, and Nova Integrated Systems, have collaborated to develop the ship, of which 26% of its components are sourced from India. The ship also contains 33 Indian-made systems, which is more than double the previous count.
INS Tushil has undergone highly rigorous trials, including factory sea trials, state committee trials, and delivery acceptance trials earlier this year. During the trials, it achieved speeds of over 30 knots. The onboard systems are geared for anti-submarine warfare, anti-air operations, and surface combat.
The frigate, named “Tushil,” meaning “protector shield,” features the motto “Nirbhay, Abhedya aur Balsheel” (Fearless, Indomitable, Resolute). Upon commissioning, it will join the Navy’s Western Fleet under the Western Naval Command, bolstering India’s maritime capabilities and operational readiness.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is going to visit Russia from December 8-10, and he will attend the co-chairing of the 21st meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military Technical Cooperation, holding talks with Russian counterparts to further bilateral defence ties and laying a wreath in respect at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow.
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