Delivery Date of Indian Frigate INS Tarkash Determined

02.10.2012 Project 11356 frigate INS Tarkash being built by Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad will be triumphantly handed over to Indian Navy on Nov 9, a source in the shipyard told Central Navy Portal.

INS Tarkash is the second Talwar-class ship being built for Indian Navy under the contract signed in 2006.

Yantar shipyard won the tender for three such frigates and began construction of the lead ship INS Teg in the summer of 2007. Afterwards, building of other ships started – frigate INS Tarkash (laid down in Nov 2007, launched in 2010) and INS Trikand (laid down in June 2008, launched in May 25, 2011).

First three Project 11356 frigates were built by Baltiysky Zavod shipyard (St. Petersburg) in 1999-2004, commissioned into Indian Navy and are currently in service.

The second trio of frigates has different armament. In contrast to first frigates armed with Club-N missile system, ships built by Yantar have missile system BrahMos jointly developed by Russia and India.

Lead frigate INS Teg (F46) was handed over to Indian Navy on Apr 27, 2012. Late in June, the ship arrived at permanent basing site in Mumbai.

INS Tarkash began sea trials one month after the handover of the lead frigate. She took the Baltic Sea for the first time early in June 2012 and finished the state trials program late in Aug 2012.

The ship returned to the shipyard on Sept 3 to hold dock examination and prepare for acceptance trials.

The third frigate INS Trikand is at final stage of construction gearing up for trials. The ship is expected to join Indian Navy in the summer of 2013.

At present, India negotiates with Russia on construction of additional series of such frigates.

Project 11356 was developed by JSC Severnoye Design Bureau also subordinated to United Shipbuilding Corporation along with JSC Yantar Shipyard.

Frigates of this class are designed for searching and destruction of submarines, antiship and antisubmarine defense, and protection from air attacks.

Length of such ship is 125 meters; beam is 15 meters; displacement is about 4,000 tons; full speed is 30 knots; cruising range at 14 knots is 5,000 nautical miles; crew strength is over 200 men including 20 officers.