New Delhi, June 22 - The Indian Navy's Russian-built warship INS Tamal will be commissioned in the coastal city of Kaliningrad on July 1. The ship is equipped with guided missiles and surveillance systems. Officials said that 26 percent of the equipment installed on the ship is indigenous, including the long-range BrahMos cruise missile that can hit targets at sea and on land.
According to the Indian Navy, the 125-meter-long and 3,900-ton warship has a huge lethality as it is a significant combination of Indian and Russian modern technologies and best practices involved in building warships.
After commissioning, 'Tamal' will join the Western Fleet of the Indian Navy. Indian Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said that it will not only symbolize the growing capability of the Indian Navy but also be an example of the combined strength of the Indo-Russian partnership.
INS Tamal will be the eighth Krivik-class ship to be inducted into the Indian Navy from Russia in the last two decades. Officials said that the warship has been built at the Yantra Shipyard in Kaliningrad. INS Tamal is the second ship of the Tushil class and is a modernized version of the earlier ships, the Talvar and Teg classes.
The ceremony to induct the ship into the Indian Navy will be led by Vice Admiral Sanjay J. Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command. The ceremony will also be attended by several top defense officials from India and Russia.