The seventh frigate of P1135.6 class for the Indian Navy was launched at Yantar Shipyard in Russia’s Kaliningrad on Thursday in the presence of Indian Ambassador to Russia D Bala Venkatesh Varma and senior dignitaries of the Russian Federation.
The Indian and Russian governments had in October 2016 signed an agreement to construct four additional P1135.6 class ships — two each in Russia and India.
These ships feature “stealth technology” in terms of low radar and under water noise signatures, the ministry stated.
The delivery of the two ships from Russia is expected by 2023.
During the launch ceremony, the ship was formally named as ”Tushil”, which means protector shield in Sanskrit, the ministry’s statement noted.
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The construction of the ships is based on the Indian Navy’s specific requirements to meet the entire spectrum of naval warfare in all three dimensions of air, surface and sub-surface.
“The ships with a potent combination of state-of-art Indian and Russian weapons and sensors are equipped to operate in Littoral and Blue waters, both as a single unit and as consort in a naval task force. They feature stealth technology in terms of low radar and underwater noise signatures,” the Indian Navy said.
Despite challenges posed by the ongoing pandemic, production of the ships was continued by utilisation of innovative solutions. He thanked the Indian government for their support and reiterated the shipyard’s commitment to deliver the ships as per contractual timelines.
D Bala Venkatesh Varma, Ambassador of India (Moscow), highlighted the long-standing tradition of military technical cooperation between India and Russia. He acknowledged the efforts put in by the Yantar Shipyard to ensure that the ship was launched as per contractual timelines, overcoming the challenges imposed by Covid-19.
