Article Posted on : - Jun 21, 2021

A Talwar-class frigate of Indian Navy. (File photo)

PANAJI (BNS): The keel laying ceremony of the second Project 1135.6 class (follow-on Talwar class) frigate for the Indian Navy was held at the Goa Shipyard Ltd. (GSL) last week.

The event was held on June 18, 2021 in the presence of Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Adm. G Ashok Kumar,  a press release issued by the Defence Ministry said.

Keel for the first ship was laid on January 29, 2021, the statement said.

The two advanced guided missile frigates for the Indian Navy are being built by the GSL as part of an indigenous shipbuilding programme being executed under an Inter-Governmental Agreement signed with Russia.

The contract in this regard was signed on 25 January 2019 between Ministry of Defence and Goa Shipyard Limited.

The first ship would be delivered in 2026 and the second ship subsequently after six months, the MoD statement said.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Guest Vice Adm G Ashok Kumar highlighted that it was for the first time that these vessels, with such technological complexity, were being constructed indigenously at GSL and “marked an important milestone in our journey towards Atma Nirbhar Bharat and Make-in-India initiative.”

He further added that a large number of major equipment are being substituted with indigenous equivalents, in addition to use of significant indigenous build material. The entire hulls of the ships are also being built with indigenous steel.

Indian Navy is presently operating six Project 1135.6 Talwar-class frigates. Supersonic cruise missile BRAHMOS – world’s fastest and deadliest tactical weapon – is the ‘prime strike weapon’ onboard these warships.

In addition to the two ships being built indigenously by GSL, India will acquire two more such platforms directly from Russia as part of the inter-governmental deal signed in October 2016, taking the total number of Project 1135.6 class FFGs in the Indian Navy to 10.