Russia launches second stealth warship for India

Russia launched the second of three stealth frigates for the Indian Navy under $1.6 billion deal inked in July 2006.

The launching ceremony of the missile frigate Tarkash (Quiver) in Russia’s Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad,was attended by senior Russian and Indian naval officials,state-owned Yantar shipyard said in a release.

The first of three Project 11356 (modified Krivak III) frigates,named the Teg (Sword),was launched in last November.

The third frigate,Trikand (Bow) is due to be delivered in 2011-12.

The new frigates,also known as Talwar class,will be armed with eight BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles.

They will be also equipped 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 antisubmarine warfare (ASW) helicopter.

Earlier,Russia’s Baltiisky Zavod shipyard had built three stealth frigates of the same class – INS Talwar,INS Trishul and INS Tabar.

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Continuing the tradition of the Indian Navy to name naval ships of the same class with same letter in the beginning,President Pratibha Patil during her Russia visit last September had christened the new frigates as the Teg,the Tarkash and the Trikand at various stages of completion at Yantar Shipyard.

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