Russia is offering to build for Indian Navy three additional Project 11356 frigates – the type designated ‘Talwar class’ by the Indian Navy. Russia supplied India with two sets of three Project 11356 frigates, with the last one being the INS Trikand. The Talwar Class is a modification of Krivak III class . Negotiations on the third set of three frigates have been taking place with the Indian side since this spring, following a formal Indian request, Vladimir Spiridopulo, the program manager at the Russian Northern Design Bureau said. In addition to the new constructions, upgrades of the three frigates delivered under the first order is also being negotiated.
Part of this upgrade will include the integration of BrahMos missiles. The Indian Navy’s existing Project 11356 frigates are not BrahMos-equipped because they were designed before the BrahMos naval variant could be developed.
The first three ships were built in the Baltic Shipyards of St. Petersburg, and the second set in Kaliningrad’s Yantar Shipyards. The location of the shipyard to build the third batch has yet to be announced.
Spiridopulo also said that the Northern Design Bureau is helping to install a combat information and control (CIC) system, of its own design, on the new Indian Project 17 destroyers (Kolkata-class). The Russian CIC is now being installed on the third ship of this project.
