Goa Shipyard Launches Advanced Talwar-Class Frigate 'Triput' As Russia Prepares To Deliver First Ship 'Tushil' In September

Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) has launched the first indigenously-built Talwar class frigate, 'Triput', on Tuesday (23 July).

This comes just a week after reports of Russia preparing to deliver the first frigate of this class, 'Tushil', to the Indian Navy in September this year. The second frigate, 'Tamal', will be delivered by February 2025.

In October 2016, India and Russia signed a deal to buy four stealth frigates of the Admiral Grigorovich class (also known as Project 1135.6 class). Two of these frigates, 'Tushil' and 'Tamal', will be directly imported, and the remaining two frigates will be built in India by GSL through a transfer of technology (ToT).

Triput is the first ship built by GSL under this.

The Indian Navy already operates six ships of this class: INS Talwar, INS Trishul, INS Tabar, INS Teg, INS Tarkash and INS Trikand.

The 124.8-metre long frigates have a draught of 4.2 metres and are armed with eight BrahMos or Klub anti-ship missiles. The frigates displace around 3,500 to 4,000 tonnes and are equipped with state-of-the-art weapons and sensors.

The ship is powered by Zorya gas-turbine engines of Ukrainian origin in a Combined Gas Turbine and Gas Turbine (COGAG) configuration, which propels the ships to a maximum speed of 28 knots.

The frigates have the Shtil-1 air-defence system, which can defend against any type of air threat, including anti-ship cruise missiles, fighter jets, and drones.

These are multipurpose frigates capable of performing a variety of tasks, including anti-ship, anti-submarine, land-attack, anti-piracy, and search and rescue missions.

This delivery comes after repeated delays by Russia to deliver these frigates to the Indian Navy on account of first Covid-related lockdowns and then due to Russia-Ukraine war.

In total, these frigates have seen delays totalling more than two years.