India to commission new warship in Russia

India will commission, a new warship, INS Tushil, that has been made in Russia. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will preside over the commissioning ceremony at Kaliningrad, Russia, on Dec 9.

The Indian Navy Chief Admiral DK Tripathi will be present at the ceremony.

INS Tushil is upgraded version of earlier sister ships. Six such warships are already in service in Indian Navy – three of 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 part of the two-ship order placed on Russia in October 2016.

The ship's construction was closely monitored by an Indian team of specialists from the warship overseeing team stationed at Kaliningrad.

The ship has undergone sea trials and delivery acceptance trials by a team of Indian specialists. These trials included the proving of all Russian equipment fitted onboard, including weapon firings. During the trials, the ship clocked an impressive speed of more than 30 knots. “With these trials being successfully completed, the ship would reach India in a near combat-ready condition ready to deliver its effects from the word go,” the Indian Navy said.

The ship’s name, Tushil, means ‘the protector shield’. The 3900 warship is 125 metres long and 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 new design provides it with enhanced stealth features and better stability characteristics.

The Indian origin content of the ship has been enhanced to 26 percent. Major Indian companies involved the project included, among others, BrahMos Aerospace, Bharat Electronics Limited, Keltron, Nova Integrated Systems from Tata, Elcome Marine, Johnson Controls India.