• Indian Navy’s Russian-manufactured guided missile frigate INS Tushil was commissioned into the force at Russia’s coastal city of Kaliningrad in presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

• The warship is expected to significantly bolster the Indian Navy’s operational capability in the Indian Ocean.

Highlights of INS Tushil:

• INS Tushil is an upgraded Krivak III class frigate of Project 1135.6, of which, six are already in service – three Talwar class ships, built at Baltiysky shipyard, St. Petersburg, and three follow-on Teg class ships, built at Yantar shipyard, Kaliningrad. 

• INS Tushil, the seventh in the series, is the first of the two upgraded additional follow-on ships.

• INS Tushil has been constructed in Russia as part of an over $2.5-billion deal that New Delhi had inked with Moscow in 2016 for four stealth frigates for the Indian Navy.

• The ship’s name, ‘Tushil’, means “the protector shield” and its crest represents the ‘Abhedya Kavacham’ (impenetrable shield). 

• Along with its motto, ‘Nirbhay, Abhedya aur Balsheel’ (Fearless, Indomitable, Resolute), the ship stands as a symbol of the Indian Navy’s undying commitment to protect and safeguard the nation’s maritime frontiers.

• The 3,900-tonne ship with a length of 125 metres packs a lethal punch and is an impressive blend of Russian and Indian cutting edge technologies and best practices in warship construction.

• The ship’s keel was laid on July 12, 2013 and was launched in water in October 2021. 

• It is designed for blue water operations across the spectrum of naval warfare in all four dimensions air, surface, underwater and electromagnetic. It is armed with a range of advanced weapons, including the jointly-developed BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, vertically-launched Shtil Surface-to-Air Missiles with enhanced ranges, upgraded medium-range anti-air and surface gun with advanced stealth features, optically-controlled close-range rapid fire gun system, anti-submarine torpedoes and rockets and advanced electronic warfare and communication suite.

• The ship’s new design provides it with enhanced stealth features and better stability characteristics. 

• With the collaboration of Indian naval specialists and Severnoye Design Bureau, the indigenous content of the ship has been enhanced to an impressive 26 per cent.

• The warship is the result of the continuous toil of hundreds of shipyard workers along with multiple Russian and Indian Original Equipment Makers (OEMs).

• The major Indian defence firms involved in the project were BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited, Bharat Electronics Limited, Keltron, Nova Integrated Systems from Tata, Elcome Marine, Johnson Controls India and others.

• INS Tushil is joining the Western Fleet of the Indian Navy and will rank amongst the most technologically advanced frigates in the world.

• It will not only be a symbol of the Indian Navy’s growing capabilities, but also the resilient collaborative strength of the India-Russia partnership.

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