Russia to float out last two ‘Talwar’ class frigates by year-end
12 Jan 2010
Kaliningrad: A Russian shipyard will float out the last two of three modified Krivak-IV 'Talwar' class frigates for the Indian Navy by the end of the year, a Russian shipyard spokesman said on Monday.
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| INS Talwar |
These frigates are a follow-on order for a batch of Krivak-III\INS Talwar class frigates earlier constructed by the Russian Baltisky shipyard. The current lot are being constructed at the Yantar shipyard located in Russia's Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad.
The three modified Krivak-IV class guided missile frigates are being constructed for the Indian Navy under a $1.6 billion contract signed in July 2006.
The current lot of ships have been named INS Teg (Sabre), which is the lead ship of the modified Krivak-IV class, and INS Tarkash (Quiver) and INS Trikand (Bow). The earlier lot of Krivak-III class, constructed by the Baltisky shipyard were INS Talwar (Sword), from which the entire class of ships is now identified, INS Trishul (Trident) and INS Tabar (Axe).
INS Teg was 'floated out' at the end of November 2009.
Unlike the Talwar class, which were armed with the 'Klub class' of multi-role missiles, the new frigates will be armed with eight BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles. Like the BrahMos, the Klub class can take on both ship and static land-based targets.
The ships will also be armed with a 100-mm gun, a Shtil surface-to-air missile system, two Kashtan air-defence gun/missile systems, two twin 533-mm torpedo launchers, and an anti-submarine warfare helicopter.
