INS Tushil (F 70), the latest multi-role stealth-guided missile frigate, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in the presence of Defence minister Rajnath Singh at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia on December 09. The minister, in his address, described the commissioning as a proud testament to India’s growing maritime strength and a significant milestone in the long-standing friendship between India & Russia, which are bound together by shared values, mutual trust, and special & strategic privileged partnership.
Rajnath Singh termed Russia’s support to India’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ as another important example of deep friendship between India and Russia. “Made in India content is continuously increasing in many ships including INS Tushil. The ship is a big proof of the collaborative prowess of Russian and Indian industries. It exemplifies India’s journey towards technological excellence through jointmanship,” he added.
Highlighting the deep ties between the Navies of India and Russia, the minister stated that technical & operational collaboration is constantly touching new heights under the holistically growing relations between the two countries under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin. He reasserted the Indian Navy’s commitment to peace and security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). “Our Navy has foiled the designs of piracy, arms and drug smugglers and non-state actors in various hotspots. From the Gulf of Oman to the Gulf of Aden, from Suez to Malacca & from Australia to Madagascar, the Indian Navy is playing the essential role of a net security provider in IOR. India, along with its friendly countries, believes in ensuring that maritime trade in the region remains safe and secure, thereby promoting unhindered trade across the sea,” he said.
Rajnath Singh exuded confidence that, with new energy & enthusiasm, India and Russia will realise the full potential of its cooperation in the coming times. He emphasised that the two countries will not only strengthen the existing areas of collaboration, but also give priority to working in new and unexplored areas. “India and Russia will enter a new era of cooperation by taking advantage of each other’s expertise in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Space Exploration and Counterterrorism,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi congratulated all those involved in the project, especially the shipyard workers and all Russian and Indian Original Equipment Manufacturers for their exceptional work, flawless integration of Indian systems with Russian systems and contribution to the quality capability upgrades achieved in this project.
INS Tushil is an upgraded Krivak III class frigates of the Project 1135.6 of which, six are already in service – three Talwar class ships, built at Baltiysky shipyard, St. Petersburg, and three follow-on Teg class ships, built at Yantar shipyard, Kaliningrad. INS Tushil, the seventh in the series, is the first of the two upgraded additional follow-on ships, the contract for which was signed in October 2016 between JSC Rosoboronexport, Indian Navy and the Government of India.
