The Talwar-class frigate INS Tabar at St. Petersburgh for the Russian Navy Day | Photo: Oleg Kuleshov
Two of the four Talwar-class frigates ordered by the Indian Navy are expected to be launched at Yantar Shipyard at Kaliningrad in Russia, later this year.
Chief Executive Officer of Russia’s United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), Alexey Rakhmanov, informed visiting Indian news media last month that while the construction of two of the hulls was underway, work was underway for the construction of two other hulls in India.
“The current construction of the two hulls remaining in Russia are going on schedule. We are experiencing a little bit of the delay of the payments from the Indian side. We appreciate that that was somehow related to the end of the financial year and we don’t really feel troubled on that front,” he said.
The Indian Navy had placed a USD 2.5 billion order for two Talwar-class frigates in 2018 and an additional order for two of the vessels to be built at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) in 2019.
The hulls of the two frigates to be built at Yantar Shipyard had been built for the Russian Navy earlier, which stopped work on them, and eventually redirected to the Indian requirement.
Giving more details about the construction of the frigates, Yantar Shipyard CEO, Ilya Samarin, said, “This year we are going to launch (both the ships),” he said, and explained that the outfitting work would begin after the launch ‘at the berth of Yantar Shipyard’.
Samarin explained that while the normal timeline for ‘outfitting the ships once they are launched and once the ship is positioned at the berth’ is two years, the Indian Navy contract envisages a period of 36 months.
With only three cases of Covid 19 infections at Yantar Shipyard, Samarin also said that the pandemic had not had ‘any drastic impact on the timelines of the construction of the ships’.
Rakhmanov also said said USC was expecting officials from Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) to arrive in Russia to collaborate on the construction of the other two hulls by Indian shipwrights.
“The Indian counterparts from the Goa Shipyard are arriving at Yantar soon where the completion of the first two hulls is taking place. And that actually will be the learning curve for the Indians who wish to get acquainted with the technology of this shipbuilding and all the nuances of the higher level.”
With checks concluded on Goa Shipyard, Rakhmanov said he saw anticipated no problems for the construction of the frigates in India. “We believe that this is the first step that will prepare the Goa specialists. The audit of the shipyard has already taken place and we have no major concerns that this project will be properly concluded in India but now our goal is to get Indian specialists involved,” he said.
Keel laying of the second frigate of additional follow-on ship of Project 1135.6 for the Indian Navy on 18 Jun 2021 | Photo: Indian Navy
The frigates built by Goa Shipyard are expected to be delivered in June and December of 2026. The keel was laid for both the frigates in January and June, this year.
Samarin explained Yantar was collaborating with Goa Shipyard in this first instance of the construction of Talwar-class frigates in India. “We are getting ready to work jointly with GSL and provide them with technical assistance. Also, at the same time we are getting ready to deliver and supply the equipment required for the construction of these two ships at GSL. Should there be any additional requirement for help from the Russian side to build the ships of Project 11356 (Talwar-class) at GSL, Yantar Shipyard is definitely ready to provide it.”
INS Talwar at Mombasa for Exercise Cutlass Express 2021 | Photo: Indian Navy
Discussions are also expected next month on upgrades to the first of the existing Talwar-class frigates.
Rakhmanov said, “The precise technical requirements are still under discussion. We understand that the existing Talwar-class frigate has been in service for a while. And it doesn’t only require the maintenance of the existing mechanisms but also an upgrade of the systems — first of all, the electronic systems and potentially the weapons systems.”
Andrei Diachkov, CEO of the Severnoye Design Bureau, explained that the two countries’ ‘Inter-Governmental Commission will start talks in August and all of these discussions will be included in this’.
According to Diachkov, meetings on the potential upgrade were last held in May, when the proposals of the Severnoye Design Bureau for the upgrades to be conducted under the Make in India initiative were discussed.
“There is no necessity to transport the ship to Russian shipyards,” he explained, adding that India’s defence ministry and the Indian Navy would decide the Indian shipyard that would carry out this upgrades.
Diachkov also said that while the precise standard of modernisation was still to be decided in the upcoming discussions, Severnoye Design Bureau had submitted a comprehensive upgrade proposal for consideration by the Indian Navy. “Our proposal is to make complex upgradation with maximum efficiency,” he said, ‘taking into account the features of the new ships’. “We are ready to implement the full scale modernisation according to the requirements of the Indian Navy,” he added.
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