Russia launches Indian Navy’s third missile frigate

KALININGRAD (BNS): Indian Navy's third and final Talwar-class guided missile frigate, INS Trikand, has been floated out at Russia's Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad on Wednesday.

The new frigate, being built under project 11356, was launched in the presence of Indian and Russian government and defence officials.

With almost sixty percent of the warship's construction work over, including its weapons complex, it will now enter the final stage of production, the shipyard said.

The Yantar shipyard was awarded a $1.6 billion contract in 2006 to build three modified Talwar class (also known as Krivak III class) guided missile frigates for the Indian Navy.

While the fist ship, INS Teg, was floated out in November 2009, the second vessel, INS Tarkash, was launched in June, 2010. Both the ships are getting ready to undergo sea trials in the coming months.

The new class of Talwar frigates will be equipped with BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missiles which will replace the 3M-54E Klub-N anti-ship missiles installed on the original three Talwar-class frigates presently operated by the Indian Navy.

Russia had built and delivered the original three frigates – INS Talwar, INS Trishul and INS Tabar – to Indian Navy between 2003 and 2004 under a 1997 contract.

The other armaments to be installed on each of the new frigate would be a 100-mm gun, a Shtil air defense system, two Kashtan air defense gun/missile systems, two twin 533-mm torpedo tubes, and an anti-submarine warfare helicopter.

The three new frigates are slated to be handed over to India between 2011 and 2012.

India will get frigates on time, all problems are resolvable – an official

Despite some difficulties, frigates built in Kaliningrad for Indian Navy will be delivered to the customer on terms specified in the contract, reported ITAR-TASS citing Alexander Fomin, deputy director of Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) appearing today at the Aero India 2011 international exhibition in Bangalore. 

"The works go on; two ships have been already launched and the third one is being prepared for launching. Of course, there are some minor problems, but we handle them", Fomin said. 

The $1.6 bln shipbuilding contract was tied with India in summer 2006. It is planned to deliver frigates to the customer in 2011-2012. First three Project 1135.6 frigates cost India over $1 bln and were built by Baltiysky Zavod. Ships were delivered in 2003-2004, one year behind the schedule. 

Yantar shipyard won India's tender for other three frigates. The first one was launched in Nov 2009, the second one – in June 2010. Indian president Prateebha Patil gave names to the ships – INS Teg (Saber), INS Tarkash (Quiver), and INS Trikand (Bow) – which were laid down in 2007-2008. 

Frigates of this series are multipurpose warships. They are designed for antisubmarine, antisurface and antiaircraft defenses, and are the first ships to be armed with Russian-Indian supersonic cruise missile system BrahMos.

Yantar shipyard launches Indian frigate in March

Yantar shipyard (Kaliningrad, Russia) plans to launch third frigate [last in series] for Indian Navy in mid-March, reported yesterday RIA Novosticiting Sergei Mikhailov, the shipyard's press secretary. 

"Technically, the ship is being prepared for launching in mid-March; this is the last of three ships of 'Indian' project 11356, she is called Trikand which means "Bow", said Mikhailov. 

Yantar has been building second series of frigates [in Russian classification – escort ships] for Indian Navy since 2006. First two ships – Teg ("Saber") and Tarkash ("Quiver") – have been already launched. 

The project was developed by Severnoye Design Bureau which subordinates to the United Shipbuilding Corporation. 

Project 11356 frigates are designed for antiship, antisubmarine, and antiaircraft defenses. The ship's length is 125 meters; beam is 15 meters; displacement is 4,000 tons; fuel range is 5,000 miles; crew is 220 men. 

Baltic shipyard Yantar was established on July 8, 1945 on the facilities of German yard F. Schichau. The shipyard was registered as JSC Yantar in 1996; it specializes in construction of small- and medium-size warships and civil vessels, as well as conducting ship repair works. 

Through 65-year history, the yard has built 154 warships and over 500 civil vessels. Currently, major shareholder of JSC Yantar is state-led JSC United Shipbuilding Corporation.