India’s latest warship, INS Tushil, was commissioned at Kaliningrad on Monday. The 3,900-tonne multi-role stealth frigate is equipped with advanced weapons and sensors.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emphasized that the commissioning of INS Tushil will not only strengthen India-Russia defence ties but also lead to collaboration in new and unexplored areas. “India and Russia will enter a new era of cooperation in fields such as AI, cyber security, space exploration, and counterterrorism,” Singh said. He called the ship’s commissioning a “significant milestone” in the long-standing strategic partnership between the two nations.
Singh further noted that the technical and operational collaboration between India and Russia continues to grow under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin. He also highlighted the increasing “Made in India” content in ships like INS Tushil, calling it a testament to the successful collaboration between Indian and Russian industries.
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Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi congratulated all those involved in the frigate’s construction, particularly the workers at Yantar shipyard and Indian and Russian original equipment manufacturers. He praised their “exceptional work, flawless integration of Indian systems with Russian systems, and contributions to the project’s quality upgrades.”
INS Tushil, a 125-meter long upgraded Krivak-III class frigate, is designed for blue-water operations and capable of engaging in naval warfare across air, surface, underwater, and electromagnetic domains. It will be followed by the commissioning of a second warship, INS Tamal, built in Russia, expected early next year.
The frigates are armed with a range of advanced weapons, including Brahmos supersonic cruise missiles, vertically-launched Shtil surface-to-air missiles, upgraded medium-range anti-air surface guns, anti-submarine torpedoes, and advanced electronic warfare and communication systems, according to the Navy.