Indian Navy inclined towards three more improved Talwar-class frigates

[Ronin]

SOURCE: SP Guide Publications

The Indian Navy, which has been offered three or four more ‘highly improved’ Talwar-class frigates by Russia, has indicated that it may be inclined to take up the offer. Oleg Shumakov, acting General Director and chief executive of the Yantar Shipyard has told Russian journalists that the Indian Navy has expressed interest in taking forward discussions on the offer.


No specifics have emerged so far on precisely what the upgraded elements on the offered vessels will be, though they are likely to be in the integrated combat management system, air defence weapons and secondary sensors. The Indian Navy operates six Talwar-class frigates, delivered between 2003-2013. Like the second batch of the class delivered to the Indian Navy, the offered vessels will also sport the BrahMos missile system.

Negotiations are also currently on for a contract to upgrade the first three Talwar-class frigates with a new combat management and data system as well as new generation weapon systems. The Indian Navy currently in the process of building Project 17A stealth frigates of its own, has a specified need for more frontline combatants to support its blue water aspirations.

 

[Nilesh Singh]

If true, then it will be great addition to Indian Navy. It would have been better if made in Indian private shipyard. There are large no. of private shipyard lying vacant.

 

[Ronin]

Yes I prefer it's made by an Indian shipyard too, but we need to keep Russia happy
Especially by giving orders in areas where they are really good and where we are stretched

 

[sudhir007]

I think we need to give this order to private shipyard
currently we have around 15 frigate and end of this decade we have to retire Godavari class

 

[Didact]

Some people here critique such an approach of 'importing' warships from above when the domestic (Pvt.) shipyards are idling with empty order books. But there are several logical reasons why the Navy might go down this path. I think it's important to listen to their arguments and reasoning.

1. Yantar Shipyard survived the Soviet collapse (and modernized) in significant part due to the large amounts of money obtained from Indian contracts. Given such an association and previous financial commitment, and their commendable work in the Talwar series of FFGs, it would be a waste to not go for them for another 3-4 FFGs.

Given the fact that we effectively paid for the experience and knowledge of the crew in Yantar Shipyard, I don't think it's a bad idea to make optimum use of our investments.

2. The IN has pretty much decided on a two tier FFG fleet for the first half of the 21st century; The P-17 and its successors for the upper tier work, and a smaller, less capable 4000 ton class FFG for its lower tier operations. The Krivaks are pretty good, and are priced fairly reasonable for the IN.

Also, given the need for fleet commonality, it would be prudent to go with the Krivaks rather than go in for a new design, especially given the order scale is 3-4.

3. There exists no indigenous FFG design in the category of the Krivak. And the Russians are sure as hell not going to depart with their designs for license building at an Indian shipyard. Not without significantly jacking up the costs, which would make it meaningless.

That leaves the option of either developing a completely new 4000 ton design, which would consume a minimum of 12-18 months for the design phase itself. Or we could go for a modified version of the P-28's, though that too would entail a substantial amount of redesign work.

Neither of those options sound very appealing to an IN which quickly wants to build up a larger Navy.

 

[Abingdonboy]

Yes I prefer it's made by an Indian shipyard too, but we need to keep Russia happy
Especially by giving orders in areas where they are really good and where we are stretched

The whole point in such a deal is to have them made outside of India where the shipyards are full until the middle of the next decade. The IN has signed up for 7 P-17As but the first one won't come until 2022. The first upgraded Talwar class from Russia could probably be in the IN's hands by 2019.

 

[kaykay]

This will be a great addition to Indian navy. Equipped with 8 Brahmos missiles, 24 medium range SAMs, 8 short range SAMs, 2*2 533 mm torpedo tubes, RBU-6000 anti submarine rocket launcher, 1 100 mm gun, 2 CIWS. Just great.

 

[jaiind]

GOI has procuring more arms for navy these days !! Any thing for army??

 

[migflug]

Great news .but buying from russia rather than any private shipyard simply means india wants to make russia haapy

 

[A$HU]

Yes I prefer it's made by an Indian shipyard too, but we need to keep Russia happy
Especially by giving orders in areas where they are really good and where we are stretched

Are you an Indian?

 

[Ronin]

Are you an Indian?

Australian
But born in India

 

[A$HU]

Australian
But born in India

Cool.

 

[ni8mare]

The whole point in such a deal is to have them made outside of India where the shipyards are full until the middle of the next decade. The IN has signed up for 7 P-17As but the first one won't come until 2022. The first upgraded Talwar class from Russia could probably be in the IN's hands by 2019.

the last frigate added is shivalik class .........which is added in 2012 and then no more addition of frigate ...then P17A will be added in 2022 a gap of ten years

now even talwar class which is last inducted in 2013 ................will have upgraded one around 2020[+/-]2 years ........a gap of 6/7 years

i dont like it ..............................these shows our pathetic planning and management

 

[Ind4Ever]

the last frigate added is shivalik class .........which is added in 2012 and then no more addition of frigate ...then P17A will be added in 2022 a gap of ten years

now even talwar class which is last inducted in 2013 ................will have upgraded one around 2020[+/-]2 years ........a gap of 6/7 years

i dont like it ..............................these shows our pathetic planning and management

And what is wrong have even 6 more Russian frigates before 2022 ? It's not going to stop our work in our shipyards. Which is already filled with orders fur atleast next 10 years or more. We will get good time to take these technologies and apply to ours. . . I think this will keep increasing in years to come. Something or the other with updated technology will be sold to India by Russian in the future too.

 

[ni8mare]

And what is wrong have even 6 more Russian frigates before 2022 ? It's not going to stop our work in our shipyards. Which is already filled with orders fur atleast next 10 years or more. We will get good time to take these technologies and apply to ours. . . I think this will keep increasing in years to come. Something or the other with updated technology will be sold to India by Russian in the future too.

when did i said i have problem with it?

i am just pointing out how our management is lousy .........that they are not inducting indigenous/foreign frigates from 2014 to 2019/2020 a gap of 6/7 years ..............

i my opinion they should have ordered at least one years back right after the last talwar so that the flow of induction would have been continued ........from 2015-2020 and then the P17A would have continued from 2022