The Indian Navy's latest stealth missile frigate, INS Tushil, was commissioned on Monday at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who attended the commissioning ceremony, hailed the warship as a "proud testament" to India's growing maritime capabilities and a "significant milestone" in the enduring friendship between India and Russia.

In his address, Singh emphasised Russia's strong support for India's Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) initiative, highlighting it as a reflection of the deep bilateral ties shared by the two nations. The event underscored the collaboration and mutual commitment of both countries to advancing maritime security and technological innovation.

“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.”

INS Tushil is an advanced Krivak III-class frigate under Project 1135.6. Tushil means ‘protector shield’. It marks a significant addition to the Indian Navy, joining the ranks of six similar vessels already in service. These include three Talwar-class ships built at the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg and three follow-on Teg-class ships constructed at the Yantar Shipyard.

The INS Tushil represents a step forward in indigenisation, with approximately 26% indigenous content—double that of the earlier Teg-class frigates. This achievement is attributed to the contributions of 33 Indian firms, including Bharat Electronics Limited, BrahMos Aerospace (a joint venture between India and Russia) and Nova Integrated Systems, a subsidiary of Tata Advanced Systems Limited.

During his three-day visit to Russia, which began on Monday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed optimism about the future of India-Russia bilateral cooperation. Addressing the commissioning ceremony of INS Tushil, Singh conveyed confidence that the relationship between New Delhi and Moscow would reach new heights, fuelled by “new energy and enthusiasm.” He emphasised that both nations are committed to not only reinforcing existing areas of collaboration but also prioritising efforts in exploring new and untapped domains of partnership.

“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 counter-terrorism,” he pointed out.

INS Tushil is part of a $2.5 billion agreement between India and Russia for the construction of four additional Krivak/Talwar-class stealth frigates for the Indian Navy. Under this deal, two frigates are being built at the Yantar Shipyard in Russia, while the other two will be constructed at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) in India, leveraging technology transfer from Russia. The second Russian-built frigate, INS Tamal, is slated for commissioning into the Indian Navy by mid-2025.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh highlighted the robust partnership between the Indian and Russian navies. He emphasised that their technical and operational collaboration continues to achieve new milestones, reflecting the “holistically growing relations between the two countries” under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Singh also reiterated the Indian Navy’s unwavering commitment to maintaining peace and security in the strategically vital Indian Ocean Region (IOR), underscoring the importance of this partnership in achieving regional stability.

“Our Navy has foiled the designs of pirates, arms and drug smugglers and non-state actors in various hot spots. From the Gulf of Oman to the Gulf of Aden, from Suez to Malacca and 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,” Singh said.

Navy chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, who also attended the commissioning ceremony, congratulated those involved in the project, especially the shipyard workers and the Russian and Indian original equipment manufacturers, for their “exceptional work, flawless integration of Indian systems with the Russian ones and contribution to the quality capability upgrades achieved in this project.”

The commissioning ceremony of INS Tushil was attended by prominent dignitaries, including Russian Deputy Minister of Defence Alexander Vasilyevich Fomin, Kaliningrad Governor Alexey Sergeyevich Besprozvannykh, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Admiral Aleksandr Alekseyevich Moiseyev, and Indian Ambassador to Russia Vinay Kumar.

In a statement, the Indian Ministry of Defence detailed the advanced capabilities of INS Tushil, a 3,900-tonne stealth frigate designed for blue-water operations. The warship is equipped to conduct naval warfare across all four dimensions—air, surface, underwater, and electromagnetic—underscoring its versatility and strategic importance for India’s maritime security objectives.

INS Tushil boasts an array of advanced weaponry, making it a formidable asset for the Indian Navy. Its arsenal includes BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, Shtil surface-to-air missiles with extended range, upgraded medium-range anti-air and surface guns, an optically controlled close-range rapid-fire gun system, torpedoes, rockets and a state-of-the-art electronic warfare and communication suite.

The frigate is also capable of operating upgraded anti-submarine and airborne early-warning helicopters, including the Kamov-28 and Kamov-31. Powered by an advanced gas turbine propulsion plant with modern controls, the ship can achieve speeds exceeding 30 knots. Enhanced automation and stealth features further bolster its combat capability and survivability, according to the Ministry of Defence. The ship is commanded by Captain Peter Varghese, a gunnery and missile specialist.

The construction of INS Tushil began with the keel-laying in July 2013. It was launched in water in October 2021, underwent maiden sea trials in January 2024, and successfully completed an exhaustive schedule of factory trials and delivery acceptance trials, both in harbour and at sea, by September 2024.

With impressive speeds exceeding 30 knots, INS Tushil is designed for agility and versatility, allowing it to outmanoeuvre threats and respond swiftly to dynamic maritime scenarios, navy officials stated.

Following the commissioning, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to co-chair the 21st meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC) in Moscow on Tuesday, alongside his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov.

However, challenges remain in the backdrop of international sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and its allies following the Ukraine conflict. These sanctions have caused delays in certain projects and raised concerns over the procurement of spares for existing Russian-origin weapons systems, as well as the maintenance and servicing of legacy equipment.