INS Trikand stealth frigate joins navy

The last of the three ‘follow-on of the Talwar-class’ stealth frigates was commissioned into the Indian Navy on Saturday at the Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad in Russia, by the vice chief of the navy, Vice Admiral RK Dhowan.

INS Trikand is the last of the three stealth frigates, ordered following on from the original three Talwar-class (Krivak III) frigates.

‘Her sister ships INS Teg and INS Tarkash were commissioned last year and are now undertaking operations as part of the Western Fleet,’ said a statement issued by the Indian Navy. The keel of INS Trikand was laid on June 11, 2008 and the ship was launched into the water on May 25 2011.

According to the navy the frigate, commanded by Gunnery and Missile warfare specialist Captain Ajay Kochhar, carries a ‘state-of-the-art combat suite which includes the supersonic BRAHMOS missile system, advanced Surface to Air missiles Shtil, upgraded A190 medium range gun, Electro-optical 30 mm Close-in Weapon System, Anti-Submarine weapons such as torpedoes and rockets and an advanced Electronic Warfare system’.

The frigate employs a Combat Management System (CMS) ‘Trebovanie-M’, which enables the ship to simultaneously neutralise multiple surface, sub-surface and air threats through integration of weapons and sensors.

The navy said, “The ship also incorporates innovative features to reduce radar, magnetic and acoustic signatures.”

Powered by four gas turbines, INS Trikand is capable of speeds more than 30 knots and is configured to carry a Kamov 31 helicopter.

The ship carries a crew of 300 personnel and will soon begin her maiden passage to India, where she will join the Western Fleet.

Interestingly, as things stand now, the Trikand is the penultimate foreign surface ship acquisition by the Indian Navy. The induction of the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya (nee Admiral Gorshkov) will be the last surface ship acquired by the Indian Navy from abroad.

The Indian ambassador to Russia, Ajai Malhotra, was also present at the commissioning ceremony.