Will the BrahMos-armed frigate ‘Tamal’ be commissioned on July 1 at a Russian port?

New Delhi, June 22 (NationPress) The Indian Navy is poised to commission its newest stealth multi-role frigate on July 1 at Kaliningrad, Russia, as per the announcement from the Ministry of Defence on Sunday.

Named “Tamal”, this warship is the eighth in the series of Krivak class frigates acquired from Russia over the last twenty years. Tamal is the second vessel of the Tushil Class, which represents upgraded versions of the earlier Talwar and Teg classes, each comprising three ships.

The commissioning ceremony will be graced by Vice Admiral Sanjay J. Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command, as the Chief Guest, along with numerous senior officials from both Indian and Russian governments and defense sectors, according to the official statement.

As part of the wider contract for Tushil class frigates, India is also constructing two analogous vessels, named the Triput class, at Goa Shipyard Limited, with technological transfer and design support from Russia. Once this series is complete, the Indian Navy will operate ten ships that share similar capabilities and commonality in equipment, weaponry, and sensor systems across four different classes.

The construction of Tamal was meticulously supervised by a team of Indian specialists from the Warship Overseeing Team stationed in Kaliningrad, under the auspices of the Embassy of India in Moscow. The project was managed at the Naval Headquarters by the Directorate of Ship Production under the Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition.

Tamal was built at Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia, and represents the last warship to be inducted from an external source, aligning with the Government of India’s focus on Aatmanirbhar Bharat and the Make in India initiatives.

The ship incorporates 26 percent indigenous components, including the BrahMos long-range cruise missile, capable of striking both maritime and land targets. It boasts notable enhancements in its armament compared to earlier models, such as vertically launched surface-to-air missiles, an upgraded 100 MM gun, a modern EO/IR system in addition to the standard 30 MM CIWS, heavyweight torpedoes, urgent-attack anti-submarine rockets, and an array of surveillance and fire control radars.

Key assets also include Air Early Warning and Multi Role helicopters that can operate from the deck of Tamal. The ship's combat capabilities are further improved by a comprehensive set of Network Centric Warfare features and an advanced Electronic Warfare suite. Tamal exhibits an impressive tonnage to firepower ratio, exceptional endurance, and a maximum speed exceeding 30 knots.

The crew, consisting of over 250 personnel, has completed extensive training both ashore and afloat under the challenging winter conditions of St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad. Tamal has successfully undergone extensive sea trials over three months, validating its systems, weapons, and sensors.

This frigate is equipped with state-of-the-art communication and data-link systems, navigation tools, and essential infrastructure, establishing the ship as a formidable asset for naval operations. Major Indian OEMs involved in the project include BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited, Bharat Electronics Limited, Keltron, Nova Integrated Systems from Tata, Elcome Marine, and Johnson Controls India.