• Russian-manufactured guided missile frigate INS Tamal will be commissioned into the Indian Navy at Russia’s coastal city of Kaliningrad on July 1.

• INS Tamal is the second ship of the Tushil Class, which are the upgraded versions of their predecessors, Talwar and Teg classes.

• INS Tamal would be the eighth Krivak class frigate to be inducted from Russia over the past two decades.

• India as part of the broader contract for Tushil class is also building two similar frigates called the INS Triput class at Goa Shipyard Ltd with transfer of technology and design assistance from the Russian side.

• By the conclusion of this series of ships, the Indian Navy will be operating 10 ships with similar capabilities and commonality in equipment, weapon and sensor fit over four different classes.

Key points on INS Tamal:

• The ship’s name, ‘Tamal’, symbolises the mythical sword used for combat by Indra.

• The ship’s mascot is inspired by the congruence of the ‘Jambavant’ — the immortal bear king of Indian mythology and the Russian national animal, the Eurasian brown bear.

• The warship was built at Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad, and is the last such platform to be inducted from a foreign source.

• Tamal’s construction was closely overseen by an Indian team of specialists from the Warship Overseeing Team stationed at Kaliningrad.

• At the Naval headquarters, the project was steered by the Directorate of Ship Production under the Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition.

• The 125m long, 3,900-tonne warship, packs a lethal punch as it features an impressive blend of Indian and Russian cutting-edge technologies and best practices in warship construction.

• The ship has 26 per cent indigenous components, including the BrahMos long-range cruise missile for targeting both at sea and land.

• The ship has significant upgrades in its arsenal in comparison to its predecessors, such as vertical launched surface-to-air missiles, improved 100 MM gun, heavyweight torpedoes, urgent-attack anti-submarine rockets, and a host of surveillance and fire control radars and systems.

• It is equipped with the latest technology in warfighting, including the BrahMos supersonic missile system for anti-ship and land-attack capabilities, surface surveillance radar complex and HUMSA NG Mk II sonar with the anti-submarine weapon firing complex amongst a host of cutting-edge weapon and sensors of Indian origin.

• The combat capability of the ship is augmented by a host of network-centric warfare capabilities and advanced electronic warfare suite.

• Tamal punches well above its weight with a very high tonnage to firepower ratio, extended endurance, and a top speed in excess of 30 knots.

• The crew, comprising over 250 personnel, has undergone rigorous ashore as well as afloat training in extremely challenging winter conditions of St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad.

• Tamal has successively completed extensive sea trials undertaken over three months.

• Upon commissioning, Tamal will join the ‘Sword Arm’ of the Indian Navy, the Western Fleet.

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