INS Tushil: India's Russian-built warship with Ukrainian engines is commissioned

INS Tushil (F 70), the latest multi-role stealth-guided missile frigate, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in the presence of Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathiat the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia, on Monday, December 9th, 2024. Commissioning marks the formal induction of a warship into the Navy and is an occasion when the ship earns its prefix (in this case, INS—IndianNaval Ship).

The event was also attended by Russian Deputy Minister of Defence Alexander Vasilyevich Fomin, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Admiral Aleksandr Alekseyevich Moiseyev, Ambassador of India to Russia Shri Vinay Kumar, and other senior officials from the Indian and Russian governments, Navies, and industries.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Minister Rajnath Singh described the event as a testament to India’s growing maritime strength and a significant milestone in the long-standing friendship between India andRussia, which are bound together by shared values, mutual trust, and special andstrategic privileged partnership.

Highlighting the deep ties between the Indian Navy and the Russian Navy, Singh stated that technical and operational collaboration is constantly touching new heights under the holistically growing relations between the two countries under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Our Navy has foiled the designs of piracy, arms and drug smugglers, and non-state actors in various hotspots. From the Gulf of Oman to the Gulf of Aden, from Suez to Malacca, and from Australia to Madagascar, the Indian Navy is playing the essential role of a net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region. India, along with its friendly countries, believes in ensuring that maritime trade in the region remains safe and secure, thereby promoting unhindered trade across the sea,” he said.

What is a Frigate-class warship?

A frigateis a class of warships that is known for its versatility, speed, and manoeuvrability. Frigates are generally smaller than destroyers and are designed to perform a variety of missions, such as escorting and safeguarding larger ships, anti-submarine warfare, and maritime patrol. They are a key component of modern naval fleets. They carry a host of weapons such as surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles, torpedoes, and close-in weapons systems to tackle incoming threats.

INS Tushil - How it came to be...

'Tushil' means ‘the protector shield’ and its crest represents the ‘Abhedya Kavacham’ (impenetrable shield).

INS Tushil is an upgraded Krivak III class frigate of Project 1135.6. Already, six ships of this class are in service with the Indian Navy, and Tushil is the seventh. Of the six, the first three wereTalwar class ships, built at Baltiysky shipyard, St. Petersburg. The rest are Teg class ships, built at Yantar shipyard, Kaliningrad.

INS Tushil is the first of the two upgraded additional follow-on ships, the contract for which was signed in October 2016 between JSC Rosoboronexport, the Indian Navy, and the Government of India. Tamal, the sister ship of INS Tushil, is being built in Russia and is expected to be commissioned in 2025. Similarly, two ships of the same class are being built at India's Goa Shipyard, under the transfer of technology from Russia. There has been a considerable delay in the delivery of the two Russian-built ships, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war with Ukraine. Interestingly, this series of Russian-built warships is powered by engines from Zorya-Mashproekt of Ukraine.

The ship’s keel was laid (marking the start of construction) on July 12th, 2013 and was launched in water in October 2021. The ship sailed out for her maiden sea trials on January 25th, 2024, and completed an exhaustive schedule of factory trials followed by State Committee trials and finally the Delivery Acceptance trials, both in the harbour and at sea, by September 24th, 2024. The ship has successfully carried out firing trials of all her Russian weapon systems and would reach India in a near combat-ready condition. In some cases, ships undergo a year of trials even after commissioning.

Capabilities of INS Tushil

The Russian-built frigate carries 20 Indian-made hull systems and is equipped with the BrahMos supersonic missile system. Besides, ROSOBORONEXPORT and India are implementing about 10 joint naval projects alone and are discussing several new ones", - said Alexander Mikheev, Director General of ROSOBORONEXPORT.

Measuring 125 metres and displacing 3,900 tonnes, INS Tushil 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 Indo-Russian Brahmos supersonic cruise missiles, vertically-launched Shtil Surface-to-Air Missiles with enhanced ranges, upgraded medium-range anti-air and surface guns, optically-controlled close-range rapid-fire gun system, anti-submarine torpedoes and rockets and advanced electronic warfare and communication suite.

The ship is capable of embarking the upgraded Russian-origin anti-submarine and airborne early warning helicopters, the Kamov 28 and Kamov 31, which are formidable force multipliers. The ship is powered by an advanced gas turbine propulsion plant with state-of-the-art controls and is capable of achieving speeds in excess of 30 knots (more than 55 kmph). The high degree of automation and stealth features further enhance its combat capability and survivability.

The share of Indian equipment on INS Tushil is estimated at 26 per cent. The major Indian manufacturers involved in the project are BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited, Bharat Electronics Limited, Keltron, Nova Integrated Systems, Elcome Marine, Johnson Controls India, and others.

Notably, Tushil and Tamal are the last of the foreign-built ships that the Indian Navy will be inducting. All future orders of ships and submarines are being fulfilled by Indian shipyards, which is in line with the Indian Government's vision of promoting homegrown shipbuilding efforts and boosting the national economy.