Russia will launch the Indian Navy’s third Talwar Class guided missile frigate, INS Trikand, on 25 May, at the Baltic Shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia.
The new frigate is being built at the Yantar shipyard under the $1.6bn Project 11356, awarded in 2006 for three modified Talwar Class guided missile frigates for the Indian Navy.
The Talwar Class frigates, with a displacement capacity of 4,000t, can cruise at a speed of 30kt and carry out missions that include detecting and destroying enemy submarines and large surface ships.
The frigates will be armed with Brahmos supersonic cruise missiles, a 100mm gun, a Shtil air defence system, two Kashtan air defence gun / missile systems, two twin 533mm torpedo tubes and an anti-submarine warfare helicopter.
The first and second frigates were launched in November 2009 and June 2010 respectively, and Russia expects to deliver all three frigates to the Indian Navy in 2011-2012, according to Brahmand.
