• INS Tamal, the latest stealth frigate of the Indian Navy, on her passage to home base in India, called at Souda Bay, Greece, from August 19 to 22.

• The ship’s crew engaged with the Hellenic Navy and NATO functionaries during the port call.

• A cross deck visit for the crew of INS Tamal was conducted onboard the multi-role amphibious assault unit ITS Trieste, a landing helicopter dock of the Italian Navy, at Souda Bay.

• INS Tamal participated in a Passage Exercise with HS Ritsos, a Roussen class patrol boat of the Hellenic Navy, aimed at validation of interoperability between the Navies.

• The port call by INS Tamal reflects the importance India attaches to its relations with Greece and the endeavour to strengthen the growing defence cooperation between the two nations. 

• It has also provided an opportunity for both navies to share best practices and pursue further opportunities for joint engagement.

• The Indian Navy commissioned INS Tamal on July 1 at Yantar Shipyard, Kaliningrad, Russia.

• The ship, enroute to her home base in India, will be visiting ports in friendly foreign countries in Asia furthering maritime diplomacy and strengthening bilateral ties across the spectrum.

Key points on INS Tamal:

• INS Tamal is the eighth multi-role stealth frigate in the series of Project 1135.6 and the second of the additional follow-on Tushil class of ships. 

• The first ship of Tushil class (INS Tushil) was commissioned on December 9, 2024.

• 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 Russia’s 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.

• Tamal is an amalgamation of Indian and Russian technologies with a host of state-of-the-art communication and network centric operational capabilities.

• 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 weapons 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.

• INS Tamal is manned by a crew of about 250 sailors and 26 officers.