The Indian Navy will commission its latest multi-role stealth-guided missile frigate (warship), INS Tushil, at Kaliningrad in Russia on Monday in a ceremony presided over by defence minister Rajnath Singh.

INS Tushil is an upgraded Krivak III class frigate of Project 1135.6, which already includes six ships in service — three Talwar class ships built at the Baltiysky shipyard in St. Petersburg and three follow-on Teg class ships built at the Yantar shipyard
in Kaliningrad.

Tushil, the seventh in the series, is the first of the two upgraded additional follow-on ships for which a contract was signed in October 2016 between JSC Rosoboronexport, the Indian Navy and the government of India.

The ship’s name, Tushil, means “the protector shield” and its crest represents the “Abhedya Kavacham” (impenetrable shield), the defence ministry said.

Measuring 125 metres in length and displacing 3,900 tonnes, INS Tushil is equipped with advanced stealth features, making it less detectable by enemy radar and more stable in various sea conditions.

“Upon commissioning, INS Tushil will join the Sword Arm of the Indian Navy, the Western Fleet, under the Western Naval Command, and will rank amongst the most technologically advanced frigates in the world. It will not only be a symbol of the Indian Navy’s growing capabilities, but also the resilient collaborative strength of the India-Russia partnership,” said a statement from the
defence ministry.

Sources said the warship would carry out a variety of missions ranging from anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare to maritime patrol and reconnaissance.