INS Trikand

INS Trikand, India’s most advanced stealth frigate built in Russia, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on Saturday at Kaliningrad.
The last of the three “follow on Talwar Class” frigates was commissioned by vice-chief of the naval staff Vice Admiral R K Dhowan. The other two “follow on Talwar Class” frigates, INS Teg and INS Tarkash, were commissioned last year and are already in operation with the Western Fleet.
The keel of INS Trikand was laid on June 11, 2008 and the ship was launched on May 25, 2011, while the acceptance trials were conducted in the Baltic Sea in April and May 2013.
A Navy statement said the INS Trikand carries a state-of-the-art combat suite, which includes the supersonic Brahmos missile system, advanced surface to air missiles Shtil, upgraded A190 medium range gun, electro-optical 30 mm close in weapon system, anti-submarine weapons such as torpedoes and rockets and an advanced electronic warfare system. The weapons and sensors are integrated through a combat management system “Trebovanie-M”, which enables the ship to simultaneously neutralize multiple surface, subsurface and air threats, the Navy said.
INS Trikand has highly advanced stealth features to reduce radar, magnetic and acoustic signatures and is capable of speeds in excess of 30 knots. It can also carry an integrated Kamov 31 helicopter that is highly effective in airborne early warning roles. INS Trikand is commanded by Captain Ajay Kochhar, a gunnery and missile warfare specialist, and has a complement of about 300 personnel. Navy said the ship will “soon undertake her maiden passage to India to join her sister ships in Western Fleet.”