The Indian Navy is poised to receive two stealth frigates, “Tushil and Tamal”, currently under construction in Russia, following significant delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and Western sanctions. These deliveries are now slated to commence in September 2024.
In October 2016, India and Russia entered into an inter-governmental agreement for the acquisition of four stealth frigates—two to be directly imported and two to be manufactured by Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL). Subsequently, a $1 billion deal was finalized for the two frigates under direct purchase.
In November 2018, GSL signed a $500 million agreement with Rosoboronexport of Russia for materials, design, and specialized assistance to facilitate the local construction of the two frigates. By January 2019, the Indian Defence Ministry and GSL had formalized the contract, paving the way for domestic production.
The Indian Navy currently operates six of these frigates, each weighing approximately 4,000 tonnes. The Talwar-class frigates, or Project 11356, are a class of stealth guided missile frigates designed and built by Russia for the Indian Navy. These vessels are enhanced versions of the Krivak III-class (Project 1135) frigates. The first batch, constructed at Baltiysky Zavod shipyard, includes INS Talwar, INS Trishul, and INS Tabar. The second batch, built at Yantar Shipyard, includes INS Teg, INS Tarkash, and INS Trikand. Tushil and Tamal will constitute the third batch, with the fourth batch currently under construction at Goa Shipyard and likely to be named the Triput Class.
In September 2016, India and Russia negotiated to construct these additional Talwar-class frigates for the Indian Navy. As per this deal India was to acquire two Admiral Grigorovich-class frigates from Russia, with the remaining two to be built domestically. This deal was signed in October 2016. As these frigates, were based on the Talwar class, which was originally intended for the Russian Navy, but following the Ukrainian conflict (Crimea), Ukraine ceased supplying engines for the Russian ships, resulting in only two of the six planned vessels being commissioned by Russia.
In August 2017, the Indian Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved a proposal valued at Rs 490 crore to procure two gas turbines from Zorya-Mashproekt in Ukraine for the Admiral Grigorovich-class frigates under construction in Russia.
In October 2018, the Indian Ministry of Defense signed a $950 million contract for the procurement of two Admiral Grigorovich-class frigates, Admiral Butakov and Admiral Istomin. Initially expected to be delivered to the Indian Navy by 2022, these deliveries have been rescheduled to September 2024 due to the compounded delays caused by the pandemic and the ongoing conflict.
The foundational construction of the two frigates, initially situated at the Yantar shipyard in Russia and purchased by India, was already completed but completion had complexities. However, according to the revised schedule, these two ships will be delivered by next year and GSL is expected to deliver the first of the domestically constructed frigates in 2026, with the second to follow six months later.
The first of the imported ships, Tushil, is ready for acceptance by the Indian Navy and is scheduled for delivery by September 2024. The commissioning crew arrived in Russia earlier this month. The second ship, Tamal, is anticipated to be delivered by February 2025.