In news
Construction of the keel of the second frigate, of additional Krivak class stealth ships was inaugurated by the Vice Chief of Naval Staff .
Background
In October 2016, India and Russia signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for four Krivak or Talwar stealth frigates — two to be procured directly from Russia and two to be built by the Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL). Following that, India signed a $1-billion deal with Russia for the direct purchase. The basic structures of the two frigates are already ready at the Yantar shipyard in Russia.
In November 2018, the GSL signed a $500-million deal with Rosoboronexport of Russia for material, design and specialists assistance to locally manufacture two stealth frigates and in January 2019 the contract was signed between the Ministry of Defence and the GSL.
About Frigate of the Krivak class
- The keel of the second frigate, of additional Krivak class stealth ships, being built with technology transfer from Russia by the Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL).
- The keel for the first ship was laid on January 29, 2021.
- It would be delivered in 2026 and the second ship after 6 months.
- It is for the first time that these vessels, with such technological complexity, were being constructed indigenously at the GSL.
- The entire hulls of the ships are also being built with indigenous steel.
- The engines for the ships are supplied by Zorya Nashproekt of Ukraine.
- India had earlier procured six Krivak class frigates weighing around 4000 tonnes in two different batches, the Talwar class and the upgraded Teg class.
- The four ships to be built will weigh 300 tonnes more than the earlier ones and will be armed with BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles.
- The Krivak class is a part of Soviet designation Project 1135 Burevestnik.
- These ships are commonly known by their NATO reporting class name of Krivak and are divided into Krivak I, Krivak II, Krivak IV (navy), and Krivak III (coast guard) classes.
