Article Posted on : - Jun 19, 2010

INS Talwar class is a new class of frigates designed and built by Russia for Indian Navy. A file photo.

NEW DELHI (PTI): INS Tarkash, a guided missile frigate of the Talwar class, will be launched next week at a Russian shipyard that is constructing the warship for the Indian Navy.

Ramma Dewan, wife of Navy vice Chief Vice Admiral D K Dewan, would launch the vessel at a ceremony in the Russian shipyard on June 23, a Navy official said here Friday.

Tarkash (meaning Quiver), is the fifth guided missile frigate under the Talwar class of the Indian Navy, is expected to be ready for commissioning in the later part of next year.

The ship will be installed with BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missiles.

"Once the ship is launched into the waters, further integration of weapons, sensors and heavy equipment will take place before it is taken out for trials," the officer said.

India placed orders for the Talwar class of frigates with the Yantar shipyard (Kaliningrad) in Russia for construction of three of them of Krivak III class for its navy in 1997.

The three ships were delivered to India in 2003 and 2004. They were named Talwar (Sword), Tabar (Axe) and Trishul (Trident).

All three frigates are currently operational in the Indian Navy and from last two years they have been frequently deployed in the Gulf of Aden in anti-piracy roles.

In November 2008, Tabar had sunk a 'dhow' (sail boat) being used by Somali pirates as their 'mother ship' to attack merchant vessels in the high seas.

In 2006, a follow-on order was placed for three more frigates of the class with better design with stealth features, weapons and sensors with Russia's Yantar shipyard.

The first of the follow-on ship was launched a few months ago and integration of equipment on board the vessel is currently in progress at the shipyard. This ship, named INS Teg (Sabre), would be delivered to the navy early next year, the officer said.

Tarkash is the second in line among the follow-on frigates and Trikand (Bow) is the third.

Trikand is also expected to be launched by the end of this year and would be ready for commissioning in about a year from then.

With a displacement of 4,000 tons and speeds of 30 knots, these frigates are capable of accomplishing a wide scale of missions, primarily finding and eliminating enemy submarines and large surface ships.