Russia Delivers Frigate INS Teg to India on Apr 27

On Apr 27, Indian Navy's ensign will be hoisted on lead Project 11356 frigate INS Teg (serial number 354) built by Yantar Shipyard (Kaliningrad, Russia), reports the yard's press service.

The first frigate of 3-ship series was laid down at Yantar in July 2007. She was launched in Nov 2009, and sea trials started in the fall of 2011. The ship completed sea trials in Dec 2011, and passed the whole range of state tests and firings in Feb 2012. Indian military commission began acceptance procedures on March 5. The ship started sea phase of acceptance trials on March 15 having left the shipyard's delivery quay in Baltiysk.

INS Teg will return to the shipyard early in April, and the Indian Navy's ensign will be hoisted on Apr 27. Sea trials of the lead ship were going on with difficulties. For instance, one of gas turbines was replaced due to failure.

The $1.6-bln contract for a series of frigates was tied with Indian Navy in the summer of 2006. First three Project 11356 ships were built by Baltiysky Zavod shipyard; that contract cost over $1 bln. Ships were delivered in 2003-2004 with a one-year delay.

Tender for the second trio of frigates was won by JSC Yantar (affiliate of United Shipbuilding Corporation). Indian president Mrs. Pratibha Patil gave names to the new ships by herself. Second and third ships – INS Tarkash ("Quiver", serial number 355) and INS Trikand ("Bow", serial number 356) – were laid down in Nov 2007 and in June 2008, launched in June 2010 and May 2011 respectively. At present, both of them are being outfitted afloat in the shipyard basin; INS Tarkash has already started mooring trials. As was initially planned, the lead ship was to be delivered in 2011, but the deadline was postponed for a year due to objective reasons. Next frigates will be handed over to the customer on half-year intervals.

By their characteristics, frigates of that project are multipurpose warships designed for search and destruction of opponent's submarines as well as antiship/antisubmarine/antiaircraft warfare. They are the first ships to be armed with newest supersonic antiship cruise missile BrahMos jointly designed by Russia and India.

Length of a Project 11356 frigate is 125 meters; beam is 15 meters; displacement is 4,000 tons; operating range is 5,000 nautical miles; complement is 220 men.

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