Most Heavily Armed Warships will Own by India

The Indian Navy is Buying Frigates from Russia
Most Heavily Armed Warships will Own by India

The Ministry of Defense has said that the Indian navy purchasing four Krivak-III categories from Russia will be equipped with the BrahMos anti-ship cruise missile, which will strengthen its reputation as the world's heaviest armed 4,000-ton warships.

The MoD's top procurement body, the Defense Acquisition Council, approved the purchase of the BrahMos missile system for the first two Krivak-III frigates (also named Project 1,135.6) which are almost entirely built in Yemen Shipyard, Russia.

The third and fourth frigates will be made under the transfer of technology agreement in the Goa Shipyard.

DAC approved the purchase of indigenous BrahMos missile for the two Indian Navy ships to be built in Russia. Indigenously designed BrahMos missile is a test and proven supersonic cruise missile and will make primary weapons on these ships, the release has been said in an MoD release.

BrahMos, a joint venture between Russia and India, assembles the missile in Hyderabad.

The Cabinet Committee on Security had approved the procurement of four frigates in October 2018, says the MoD. The price of the two ready built frigates has been agreed, both the frigates will come soon to India. The arrangements for building the next two in Goa are currently being negotiated.

Building costs in Goa will increase, because of technology transfer, the cost of shipping of raw materials and systems from Russia, installation of infrastructure in Goa Shipyard and indigenous parts of the warship

The BrahMos systems for two ships approved, including the cost of the 'vertical launch system' and missiles on board, are estimated to cost Rs 25 billion.

Russian sources close to the negotiations place the 

contract value for two ready-built Project 1135.6 frigates at under $1 billion (Rs 70 billion) — or Rs 35 billion each.

That means each vessel's BrahMos arsenal will amount to about a quarter of the cost of the warship, making it the world's most expensive anti-ship missile.

Separately, India is also negotiating a supplementary contract with Ukraine for the Zorya Gas Turbines that will power the four frigates.

After Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014, Ukraine cut off defense supplies to Russia.

However, given its strong defense relations with Kiev, New Delhi has persuaded Ukraine to sell India the Zorya turbines, which Yantar Shipyard will fit onto India's frigates.

India already operates six chain-class frigates, which it calls the sword-class after the lead vessel. The first three frigates, INS Talwar, INS Trishul, and INS Tabar, which were commissioned between June 2003 and April 2004, were equipped with the Russian Clubs ASCM.

However, the next three, INS Teg, INS Tarkash, and INS Trikand, which were commissioned between April 2012 and June 2013, carried the BrahMos.

With the BrahMos now finalized for the next four 'follow on' frigates, it has emerged as the Navy's standard ASCM.

BrahMos also equips the navy's three Kolkata-class and four Visakhapatnam-class destroyers; and will also equip the seven Project 17A frigates that will shortly enter production.

The navy has pushed hard for the four Talwar-class frigates given that it currently has just 132 warships against the projected requirement of 198 vessels.

There are just 15 frigates in service against the 24 the navy calculates it needs.

Frigates are the navy's workhorses — multi-role 3,500 to 6,000-tonne warships that can operate alone, and are capable of engaging targets in all four dimensions: Underwater, on the surface, inland and in the air.

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