The Indian Navy will commission its latest stealth multi-role frigate, “Tamal” at Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia, on 1 July.
Indian Navy’s Western Naval Command flag officer commanding-in-chief Vice Admiral Sanjay J Singh will preside over the ceremony, which will see presence of several Indian and Russian officials.
Upon commissioning, Tamal will join the Western Fleet under the Western Naval Command.
“Tamal” is the eighth vessel in the Krivak class of frigates that have been inducted from Russia over the past 20 years.
It is also the second vessel of the Tushil-class, an upgraded version of the Talwar and Teg classes, each with three ships.
As part of the larger Tushil class contract, India is also constructing two comparable frigates known as the Triput class at Goa Shipyard Limited. This project involves technology transfer and design support from the Russian side.
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By GlobalDataOnce completed, the Indian Navy will operate ten frigates across four classes with similar capabilities in equipment and systems.
Tamal is a 125 metre long warship weighing 3,900 tonnes, represents a fusion of Indian and Russian technologies.
Through collaboration between Indian naval experts and the Severnoye Design Bureau of Russia, the indigenous content of the Tamal has been increased to 26%. The number of systems developed in India has more than doubled to 33, stated the defence ministry.
The Indian original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) involved in the vessel’s development included BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited, Bharat Electronics Limited, Keltron, Nova Integrated Systems (a Tata company), Elcome Marine, Johnson Controls India, among others.
The Tamal features the BrahMos supersonic missile system for both anti-ship and land-attack missions, a Surface Surveillance Radar complex, and the HUMSA NG Mk II sonar integrated with an anti-submarine weapon firing system, among a wide array of weapons and sensors.
It boasts enhancements to its arsenal compared to its predecessors, featuring vertically launched surface-to-air missiles, an upgraded 100 mm gun, and a modern electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) system, in addition to the standard 30 mm Close-In Weapon System (CIWS). It is equipped with heavyweight torpedoes, rapid-response anti-submarine rockets, and an array of surveillance and fire control radars and systems.
Among the force multipliers include Air Early Warning and Multi-Role helicopters that can operate from the Tamal’s deck.
The ship’s combat capabilities are also strengthened by advanced Network Centric Warfare capabilities and an advanced Electronic Warfare suite.
It is claimed to have a high tonnage-to-firepower ratio, extended endurance, and a top speed exceeding 30 knots.
The crew of more than 250 personnel underwent training in St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad’s challenging winter conditions and completed three months of successful sea trials to validate the ship’s systems.
Recently, the Indian Navy commissioned INS Arnala, the first of 16 Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts (ASW-SWCs), at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
