Russia Completes Trials of First Indian Frigate

This week Russia will finish state trials of the first out of three ships for Indian Navy – frigate INS Teg – built by Yantar Shipyard (Kaliningrad), said the yard's press secretary Sergei Mikhailov.

"Frigate INS Teg left the shipyard's quay and headed for Russia's westernmost port Baltiysk via Kaliningrad seaway canal. The ship is planned to enter the Baltic Sea on Jan 17 to pass final stage of state sea trials", specified Mikhailov.

The spokesman for Yantar shipyard specified that since Sept 2011 when INS Teg took the sea for the first time, all shipboard systems and arms have been tested at sea. First launches of Russian-Indian cruise missiles BrahMos were held successfully as well.

Indian crew will settle on the ship late Jan 2012. Baltic Fleet servicemen who have spend the whole trials on board the ship will conduct appropriate briefing, train their Indian colleagues, and share first experience of the ship's operation. "The next stage will be acceptance process and delivery of the frigate to India", Mikhailov said. As for him, INS Teg is supposed to join Indian Navy in Apr 2012.

Frigate INS Teg was laid down at Yantar shipyard in mid-2007. Other two frigates of that trio – INS Tarkash and INS Trikand – have been already launched and are being currently outfitted. Tarkash and Teg are to be delivered in 2012, and Trikand – in 2013.

The $1.6-bln contract for second 3-ship batch for Indian Navy was signed on July 14, 2007 in Delhi. According to the first contract tied in 1997, Russia built and handed over to India three frigates – INS Tabar, INS Trishul, and INS Talwar.

New frigates differ from the previous ones in armament and equipment. In particular, they are armed with supersonic cruise missiles BrahMos with flight range up to 300 km.

JSC Yantar Shipyard was established on July 8, 1945 and is specialized in construction of small- and middle-size warships and civil vessels, as well as ship-repair works. Through its history, the yard has built 154 warships and over 500 civil vessels. At present, the government represented by JSC Western Shipbuilding Center (affiliate of United Shipbuilding Corporation)is major shareholder of JSC Yantar, reports ITAR-TASS.

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