BrahMos Missile Equipped Indian Frigate Completes Final Tests In Russia

A missile frigate built in Russia has been equipped with eight BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles after completing the final tests of the missile frigate for the Indian Navy. Built in Yantar shipyard in Russia's Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad, final tests of the missile frigate were completed, according to the company’s spokesman Sergei Mikhailov said on Tuesday. In 2006, Russia and India signed a $1.6 billion contract on construction of three modified Krivak III class (also known as Talwar class) guided missile frigates for India. The first frigate, the Teg, was scheduled for delivery in April 2011, but funding shortfalls have delayed the work. The Tarkash and the Trikand, two other Talwar class frigates, are at various stages of assembly and testing at the Yantar shipyard, and their delivery dates are unknown. The new frigates are each armed with eight. Besides BrahMos, they are equipped with a 100-mm gun, a Shtil surface-to-air missile system, two Kashtan air-defense un/missile systems, two twin 533-mm torpedo launchers, and an antisubmarine warfare (ASW) helicopter. Russia has previously built three Talwar class frigates for India -INS Talwar (Sword), INS Trishul (Trident), and INS Tabar (Axe).