Russia launches Indian Navy’s third missile frigate

KALININGRAD (BNS): Indian Navy's third and final Talwar-class guided missile frigate, INS Trikand, has been floated out at Russia's Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad on Wednesday.

The new frigate, being built under project 11356, was launched in the presence of Indian and Russian government and defence officials.

With almost sixty percent of the warship's construction work over, including its weapons complex, it will now enter the final stage of production, the shipyard said.

First frigate built for India to start trials in Feb-March

First of three frigates built for Indian Navy by Yantar shipyard (Kaliningrad) will be ready for trials in Feb-March 2011, said today Sivathanu Pillai, the executive director of Russian-Indian joint venture company BrahMos Aerospace. 

One ship has been fully equipped; the second one will be also completed in Feb-March, he said. 

According to Mr. Pillai, the shipyard conducts final works to prepare the frigate for trials. He also said that the new ships could launch BrahMos missiles both in the Baltic Sea and in the Indian Ocean when the first frigate arrives there from Russia. This issue is at the Russian Navy's option, said the executive director.