The two warships for the Indian Navy that are being built in Russia should be ready for launching by the end of this year. The war between Russia and Ukraine has caused a delay of more than two years.
Defense officials told India Today that a team from the Chief of Materiel Directorate in the Indian Navy was recently in Russia to manage the project. They went to the Russian shipyard where the frigates are being built to look over the plan.
“The Tushil class warships are being built at a good rate, and the Russian Navy has already launched the first warship for sea trials.” Officials in the Indian Navy said that the two boats should be ready for service by August and December of this year.
They said that once they are both in service, the first warship will be called INS Tushil and the second will be called INS Tamal.
Navy officials say that the ongoing conflict (the Russia-Ukraine war) in the area has caused many problems for the project. For example, workers from Indian naval shipyards had to be sent to Russia to put the Ukrainian engine on the frigate that was being built there.
The first ship is currently being tested in Russian waters. It should soon be ready to be sent to the Indian Navy for acceptance tests, and an Indian warship team should be there soon.
Along with the first two boats, work on the next two are also going well at the Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) in India, which is being paid for by Russia.
In the near future, the GSL plans to launch the first warship for tests. The delivery should be finished by the middle of 2026.
