India will welcome one of the world’s most advanced multi-functional stealth missile frigates built at the Yantar shipyard in Russia. The warship, capable of launching the deadly Brahmin anti-fleet, is part of the 2016 Indian-Russian agreement, which signed four Talwar-class stealth frigates, two in Russia and two in India. The second warship in the deal is now ready and is expected to be commissioned into the Navy by June 2025.
The first of two Russian-made frigates, Ins Tushil, has joined the Navy. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh personally attracted it when he visited Russia on December 9, 2024. After covering more than 12,500 miles and crossing eight countries, Ins Tushil successfully arrived in India.
Indian crew arrives in Russia for Tamar trial
Currently, Russia is conducting Tamar’s experiments. Once the warship is officially injected, Indian Navy crew members will sail it. In preparation, about 200 Indian Navy personnel arrived in St. Petersburg for training and participated in maritime trials. The trials will last about six weeks before the warships sail to India.
Why is Tamar one of the deadliest warships?
Like a sharp sword (Talwar), Tamal is designed for precise strikes and high operability. It can cruise at speeds up to 30 knots (55 km/h) and operates at a single mission of 3,000 km.
Key features include Brahmin missile capabilities, where warships can launch supersonic Brahmin missiles, posing a huge threat to enemy ships. Tamal is equipped with advanced anti-sea rockets and torpedoes to deal with underwater threats. Helicopter deployment is another important component of warships as it can carry and operate multi-function helicopters for extended surveillance and combat missions.
It was built to escape the enemy’s radar detection, thereby enhancing its survivability in modern warfare. The Tamal weighs 3,900 tons, making it an armed but agile warship.
Tamal is the last imported warship from India
The Ins Tushil and Tamal are part of the third batch of Talwar-class frigates. However, the Navy announced that Tamar would be the last imported warship, showing a shift towards fully indigenous warship production.
India has been operating the Talwar-class frigates since 2003 and is currently using six frigates. Four of them are already equipped with Brahmin missiles, while the remaining two are undergoing upgrades.
Despite concerns about possible delays due to the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war, Tamar’s delivery is still under planning. The frigate is powered by a Ukrainian-made engine that was delivered before the war began. Two other stealth frigates are also being built in India’s Goa shipyard and engines have been secured. The first of them, the INS Triput, has initiated maritime trials, marking a significant progress in the construction capacity of India’s indigenous warships.
With Tamal coming to the fleet, the Navy’s firepower and strategic scope in the Indo-Pacific region will receive a significant boost.
