Marking the beginning of its maiden operational deployment, the latest multi-role stealth guided missile frigate of the Indian Navy, INS Tushil, set sail from Kaliningrad, Russia for India on Tuesday.
An impressive blend of Russian and Indian cutting-edge technologies and best practices in warship construction, the 3900 tonne warship commissioned into the Indian Navy on December 9, will traverse the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, and finally, the Indian Ocean, making port calls at several friendly foreign countries along the way.
"The maiden deployment of INS Tushil would involve key charter of Indian Navy, namely, diplomatic, military, and constabulary activities," the defence ministry stated in a release.
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On its way to India, INS Tushil, which is expected to significantly bolster the Indian Navy's operational capability in the Indian Ocean that has witnessed increasing forays by China's PLA Navy in the last few years, will carry out joint patrolling and maritime partnership exercises with a number of navies.
The ship will undertake capability-building activities with host Navies and hold interactions with senior military and government leadership during its port calls.
“The port calls and exercises are aimed at consolidating India's maritime cooperation with littoral countries of the region and reinforcing Indian Navy's commitment to protecting and safeguarding the seafaring community,” the defence ministry noted.
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INS Tushil has been constructed in Russia as part of an over $2.5-billion deal that New Delhi had inked with Moscow in 2016 for four stealth frigates for the Indian Navy. Under the deal, two ships were to be built in Russia, while the other two would be manufactured in India.
