INS Tarkash, a Russian-built, BrahMos-armed new warship, on Thursday joined the Mumbai-based western naval fleet, giving a major fillip to the Navy’s firepower, officers said. The warship, a stealth-guided missile frigate, was built by Yantar Shipyard at Kaliningrad in Russia and was commissioned into the Navy on November 9 by Western Naval Commander Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha. INS Tarkash is the second of the three-ship projects ordered with Russia as follow-on to the already inducted Talwar Class of Navy frigates that were also built by the Yantar shipyard. The first ship in the follow-on order, INS Teg, had joined the Navy’s western fleet in June. The third ship, INS Trikhand, is expected to be delivered to India by Russia in the middle of 2013, the officers said. INS Tarkash is commanded by Captain Antony George, an anti-submarine warfare specialist, and is manned by a crew of 23 officers and 228 sailors. It is armed with advanced combat suite comprising an optimal blend of Russian and Indian cutting-edge technologies, including the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, surface-to-air missile system, medium-range gun, close-in weapon system, torpedoes and anti-submarine rockets.
Source: Indian Express
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