Shivalik Class (Project 17 A/B) & Talwar Class Frigates

Russia To Deliver 2 Guided-Missile Frigates To India by 2024

By Franz-Stefan Gady
February 07, 2020
1581243348349.png

The Indian Navy will take delivery of two Project 1135.6P/M guided-missile stealth frigates in the first half of 2024, according to the Russian defence industry.

Russia’s Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad will deliver the first two modified Admiral Grigorovich-class (Project 1135.6P/M) guided-missile frigates to the Indian Navy in the first half of 2024, according to the Federal Service for Technical and Military Cooperation (FSTMC).

“In accordance with the existing work schedule agreed by the sides, the Project 11356 frigates under construction at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad are due to be delivered to the Indian Navy by the end of the first half of 2024,” the FSTMC’s press office said in a statement released at the DefExpo international arms show in India on February 6.

Under an inter-governmental agreement concluded between India and Russia in October 2016, two frigates are to be built at the Yantar shipyard, while two additional frigates will be assembled at India’s state-owned Goa shipyard with technical support from Russia’s United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC).

The two countries signed a contract for the delivery of the first batch of two Admiral Grigorovich-class guided-missile frigates in October 2018. A follow-on contract for construction of the second batch of frigates in India was inked in January 2019. The deal is estimated to be worth over $2.5 billion.

The Goa shipyard is currently being upgraded to accommodate work on the warships. “In order to build the ships, it is necessary to further equip the Indian shipyard, develop and deliver the necessary documentation and train Indian specialists, including in the process of building the ships at the Russian shipyard,” FSTMC said.

As I reported last year, work on two modified Admiral Grigorovich-class frigates has already begun. All four guided-missile frigates are expected to be delivered to the Indian Navy by 2026.

Admiral Grigorovich-class ships are an upgraded variant of the six Talwar-class frigates that Russia built for the Indian Navy between 2003 and 2013. As I reported in 2019:

The frigates will be armed with the BrahMos cruise missile system fired from an eight-cell 3S-14E under-deck launcher. The two-stage BrahMos missile — named after the Brahmaputra River in India and the Moskva River in Russia – is a derivative of the Russian-made P-800 Oniks over-the-horizon supersonic anti-ship cruise missile

In July 2018, Indian defence firm Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has also unveiled a quadruple canisterised inclined launcher for the BrahMos missile for Indian Navy surface warships. The ships of the class will also carry vertical-launched 3M-54 Kalibr missiles. The 3M-54 Kalibr is Russian-made stand-off supersonic anti-ship cruise missile. Other armaments include a 100-millimetre A-190 naval cannon, 533-millimetre heavyweight torpedoes, and anti-submarine rockets. The frigates also feature a flight deck to carry a helicopter for anti-submarine warfare missions.

India is expected to procure two M90FR gas turbine engines, designed and built by Zorya-Mashproekt, directly from Ukraine for the two frigates built in Goa. While Russia’s defence industry has been tasked with building copies of the M90FR gas turbine engine as a result of the Ukraine sanctions from 2014, a new engine is not expected to be ready before 2020.

Russia to Deliver 2 Guided-Missile Frigates to India by 2024
 
Russia To Deliver 2 Guided-Missile Frigates To India by 2024

By Franz-Stefan Gady
February 07, 2020
View attachment 14152
The Indian Navy will take delivery of two Project 1135.6P/M guided-missile stealth frigates in the first half of 2024, according to the Russian defence industry.

Russia’s Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad will deliver the first two modified Admiral Grigorovich-class (Project 1135.6P/M) guided-missile frigates to the Indian Navy in the first half of 2024, according to the Federal Service for Technical and Military Cooperation (FSTMC).

“In accordance with the existing work schedule agreed by the sides, the Project 11356 frigates under construction at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad are due to be delivered to the Indian Navy by the end of the first half of 2024,” the FSTMC’s press office said in a statement released at the DefExpo international arms show in India on February 6.

Under an inter-governmental agreement concluded between India and Russia in October 2016, two frigates are to be built at the Yantar shipyard, while two additional frigates will be assembled at India’s state-owned Goa shipyard with technical support from Russia’s United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC).

The two countries signed a contract for the delivery of the first batch of two Admiral Grigorovich-class guided-missile frigates in October 2018. A follow-on contract for construction of the second batch of frigates in India was inked in January 2019. The deal is estimated to be worth over $2.5 billion.

The Goa shipyard is currently being upgraded to accommodate work on the warships. “In order to build the ships, it is necessary to further equip the Indian shipyard, develop and deliver the necessary documentation and train Indian specialists, including in the process of building the ships at the Russian shipyard,” FSTMC said.

As I reported last year, work on two modified Admiral Grigorovich-class frigates has already begun. All four guided-missile frigates are expected to be delivered to the Indian Navy by 2026.

Admiral Grigorovich-class ships are an upgraded variant of the six Talwar-class frigates that Russia built for the Indian Navy between 2003 and 2013. As I reported in 2019:

The frigates will be armed with the BrahMos cruise missile system fired from an eight-cell 3S-14E under-deck launcher. The two-stage BrahMos missile — named after the Brahmaputra River in India and the Moskva River in Russia – is a derivative of the Russian-made P-800 Oniks over-the-horizon supersonic anti-ship cruise missile

In July 2018, Indian defence firm Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has also unveiled a quadruple canisterised inclined launcher for the BrahMos missile for Indian Navy surface warships. The ships of the class will also carry vertical-launched 3M-54 Kalibr missiles. The 3M-54 Kalibr is Russian-made stand-off supersonic anti-ship cruise missile. Other armaments include a 100-millimetre A-190 naval cannon, 533-millimetre heavyweight torpedoes, and anti-submarine rockets. The frigates also feature a flight deck to carry a helicopter for anti-submarine warfare missions.

India is expected to procure two M90FR gas turbine engines, designed and built by Zorya-Mashproekt, directly from Ukraine for the two frigates built in Goa. While Russia’s defence industry has been tasked with building copies of the M90FR gas turbine engine as a result of the Ukraine sanctions from 2014, a new engine is not expected to be ready before 2020.

Russia to Deliver 2 Guided-Missile Frigates to India by 2024
Any news whether it would have single arm Shtil-1 launcher similar to the previous 6 Talwar class frigates or 24 VLS cells for the 9M317M SAM like the Admiral Grigovorich class frigates of the Russian Navy?
 
Any news whether it would have single arm Shtil-1 launcher similar to the previous 6 Talwar class frigates or 24 VLS cells for the 9M317M SAM like the Admiral Grigovorich class frigates of the Russian Navy?
The Navy was planning to replace the arm launchers with VLS on the existing Talwars, I don't see why they would go for arm launchers on the new ones. But I don't have any sources to confirm that.
 
@Aniruddha
The Navy was planning to replace the arm launchers with VLS on the existing Talwars, I don't see why they would go for arm launchers on the new ones. But I don't have any sources to confirm that.
Well we do know that these almost complete hulls were part of the Admiral Grigorovich-class and this class has 32cell VLS for the Shtil-1 . So it is a good guess that that these 2 hulls will be the same
 
Russia to deliver two Project 11356 frigates to India in first half of 2024

Russia to deliver two Project 11356 frigates to India in first half of 2024
February News 2020 Navy Naval Maritime Defense IndustryPOSTED ON SUNDAY, 09 FEBRUARY 2020 17:20
India will receive two Talwar-class Project 11356 frigates currently under construction at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad in west Russia by the end of the first half of 2024, according to the press office of Russia’s Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation. The Indian Navy currently has six of these ships.

Russia_to_deliver_two_Project_11356_frigates_to_India_in_first_half_of_2024_925_001.jpg
Indian Navy frigate INS Trikand (F51) of the Talwar class (modified Russian Krivak II class). (Picture source Wikimedia)

“In accordance with the existing work schedule agreed by the sides, the Project 11356 frigates currently under construction at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad will be handed over to the Indian Navy by the end of the first half of 2024,” the service said. Under the program, another two frigates will be built by an Indian shipyard.

According to the press office, the sides have already started to prepare India’s Goa Shipyard Limited for the construction of the ships.

“In order to build the ships, it is necessary to upgrade the Indian shipyard, work out and deliver the required documentation and train Indian specialists, including in the course of the construction of the ships at the Russian shipyard,” the service said.

In November 2018, Russia and India signed contracts for the delivery of four Project 11356 frigates. Under the contract, two frigates will be built in Russia and the other two by the Indian shipyard.

The Project 11356 frigate is designed to attack the enemy’s surface combatants and submarines at short and long ranges and fight aerial threats both independently and within a formation. The frigate is armed with the A-190 100mm gun, air defense missile systems, including the Kalibr-NK (NATO reporting name: SS-N-27 Sizzler) and the Shtil (SA-N-12 Grizzly) complexes, and torpedo tubes. The ship can carry a Kamov Ka-27 (Helix-A) helicopter or its versions.
 
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This is probably the first Nilgiri class(P-17A) frigate model with the Lanza secondary radar :
Project 17A FFG.jpg


The main mast with ESM, EW, COMINT gear :
Project 17A FFG's EW Suite on Main Mast.jpg


The EW system :
Shakti EW Suite.jpg


ESM :
Varuna ESM Suite.jpg


COMINT :
NAYAN COMINT System.jpg
 
Yantar Shipyard Completes Two Frigates for Indian Navy Under New Hull Numbers

17 May 2020 15:42
By Dmitry Zhavoronkov

Yantar Shipyard (Kaliningrad, Russia) holds on completion of two Project 11356 Burevestnik-class ships. The yard reports on the online public procurement portal that the matter is outfitting work on two frigates, hull numbers 01457 and 01458.
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Model of Project 11356 frigate at Goa Shipyard’s booth. Photo: Dmitry Zhavoronkov, Mil.Press Today

An informed industry insider confirmed this information to Mil.Press. Other details remain undisclosed so far.

Being interviewed on March 24, the shipyard’s CEO Eduard Efimov announced the entry of an export contract for two ships into force. He said the works on that contract were in progress, and the funding schedules had been already approved. Along with construction of two Project 11711 landing ships of the second series, this order is the Yantar’s primary income source.

Chronology

Upon settlement of a number of discords, in the fall of 2018 Moscow and New Delhi signed a suite of shipbuilding contracts regarding four Project 11356 frigates. On November 23, the president of United Shipbuilding Corporation, Alexey Rakhmanov stated that the company was planning to meet the 36-month deadline.

In February 2020, Federal Service for Military & Technical Cooperation reported about the plans to supply India with two frigates [initially keel-laid under names of Admiral Butakov and Admiral Istomin – editor’s remark] within the first half of 2014. India’s Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) will build other two ships under a technology transfer agreement. All four frigates will be powered by Ukrainian-made engines.

The GSL’s official Mahesh Malkarnekar told Mil.Press at the Army-2019 forum that the Indian shipyard would lay down the two ships in 2020, roughly half a year apart.

When the contract is completed, the fleet of India-operated Burevestnik-class frigates will amount to 10 hulls.

In the Russian Navy, Project 11356 frigates will be replaced by Project 20386 corvettes, Vladimir Tryapichnikov heading the Russian Navy’s Shipbuilding, Weaponry & Operation Dept shared with Mil.Press in May 2019.

1589800875312.png

Frigates Admiral Butakov and Admiral Istomin at Yantar Shipyard
Forums.airbase.ru, Shurikkk75

For reference

Displacement of Project 11356 frigates (in Indian Navy, guided missile frigates) is 4,000 tons, max speed is 30 knots, endurance is 30 days. Onboard weapons include: 100-mm artillery mount A-190, air defense artillery/missile systems, torpedo and ASW warfare facilities, and long-range cruise missiles Caliber-NK (for Indian Navy, BrahMos). Each frigate accommodates one Ka-27 or Ka-31 helicopter.

 
All of IN's talwars are currently part of the western fleet while all the shivaliks are part of eastern fleet.I wonder where the next 4 talwars would go?..i think all the p17a's would go to the eastern fleet and the new talwars would go to western fleet and if the shivalks are upgraded with barak8 and mfstar in the future ,we will have atleast 14 destroyers and frigates capable of cooperative engagement.some serious firepower
 
All of IN's talwars are currently part of the western fleet while all the shivaliks are part of eastern fleet.I wonder where the next 4 talwars would go?..i think all the p17a's would go to the eastern fleet and the new talwars would go to western fleet and if the shivalks are upgraded with barak8 and mfstar in the future ,we will have atleast 14 destroyers and frigates capable of cooperative engagement.some serious firepower
There are some planned transfers from Western Fleet to Eastern Fleet as the Western Fleet gets more modern ships. Delhi Class Destroyers and Brahmaputra Class Frigates are likely to be transferred as and when the remaining Rajput Class go out of service.
 
There are some planned transfers from Western Fleet to Eastern Fleet as the Western Fleet gets more modern ships. Delhi Class Destroyers and Brahmaputra Class Frigates are likely to be transferred as and when the remaining Rajput Class go out of service.
I though the p15b's will replace the rajputs.Navy has plans for 10 more frigates or 5 destroyers any new news on them?
 
I though the p15b's will replace the rajputs.Navy has plans for 10 more frigates or 5 destroyers any new news on them?
Requirement drawn up was for 15 Multi Role Air Defence Vessels. It included 3 P15A, 4 P15B and 7 P17A. There might be an extra vessel of P15B or P17A ordered to complete the requirement. When by 2022 a revision of requirements is drawn up, I positively hope for additional P17A ships to be ordered.

We expect a break of 4-5 years after the last P15B is delivered and steel is cut for Next Generation destroyers.

The further plan was for 2 more Talwar Class to replace the first two of now retired Godavari Class. With MII it has grown to 4 frigate project. This might delay the ordering of further P17A ships a bit.

More or less we are looking at 10 Destroyers with Land Attack and Air Defence Capability. 7 Large Frigates with the same capabilities. And 16 General Purpose Frigates.

These are as of now confirmed numbers. Which is a decent force level.

Furthermore we expect quick movement on 7 Corvettes, 6 Missile Vessels and 6 NG OPVs.
 
Requirement drawn up was for 15 Multi Role Air Defence Vessels. It included 3 P15A, 4 P15B and 7 P17A. There might be an extra vessel of P15B or P17A ordered to complete the requirement. When by 2022 a revision of requirements is drawn up, I positively hope for additional P17A ships to be ordered.

We expect a break of 4-5 years after the last P15B is delivered and steel is cut for Next Generation destroyers.

The further plan was for 2 more Talwar Class to replace the first two of now retired Godavari Class. With MII it has grown to 4 frigate project. This might delay the ordering of further P17A ships a bit.

More or less we are looking at 10 Destroyers with Land Attack and Air Defence Capability. 7 Large Frigates with the same capabilities. And 16 General Purpose Frigates.

These are as of now confirmed numbers. Which is a decent force level.

Furthermore we expect quick movement on 7 Corvettes, 6 Missile Vessels and 6 NG OPVs.
The 2018 TPCR mentionted NGF or NGD so i doubt they were talking about any existing projects.also i doubt the Just NGC and mcmv will be enough to keep all our shipyards busy.
Also i doubt navy will order more p17a i remember livefist in a article about navies srsam contest mentioned p17b so we might see those ordered .ofcourse all this is just speculation and i might be very wrong
 
All of IN's talwars are currently part of the western fleet while all the shivaliks are part of eastern fleet.I wonder where the next 4 talwars would go?..i think all the p17a's would go to the eastern fleet and the new talwars would go to western fleet and if the shivalks are upgraded with barak8 and mfstar in the future ,we will have atleast 14 destroyers and frigates capable of cooperative engagement.some serious firepower
We should keep some in A&N near by areas.
 
Out of the sanctioned 39 capital warships, IN will have 33 by 2027. But the sanctioned numbers will have to climb by a further 10-15 ships if we are to compete with China. Which means we will need as many as 15-20 new NGD/NGFs in the post 2027 period. We currently operate 23 ships.

PLAN currently has 41 operational destroyers and 15 more entering service by 2021. It's possible more are under construction. There are also 49 active frigates and a new class is coming up soon, and may add 10-20 of this new class. That's a total of 105 ships by 2021. By 2030, this fleet could double, and with ships of far superior designs, like the Type 055.

The USN is a giant. 91 destroyers active and are adding 16 more to the fleet. However 22 of these are the Ticonderogas and are likely to be decommissioned before 2030. Apart from that they plan to add 20 FREMM class frigates, which are actually equivalent to older destroyers in India and China. So they are technically going to add 36 destroyers in the near future. Apart from that, they are gonna operate 24 frigates. But I don't think the actual frigates will play much of a part against China. So that's roughly 105 destroyers before 2030. USN operates much bigger ships with more firepower than the PLAN, but the Chinese should easily be able to exceed that with their Type 055s, as long as they build enough ships.

The Japanese have 41 ships active and 1 more joining the fleet by next year. Out of those, 14 will be decommissioned soon. 27+1 are modern to relatively modern. Next gen destroyers are coming up.

The Australians have 13 active ships. 9 frigates will join the fleet by the end of the decade as replacement ships.

So we have 23 ships now, will climb to 33 by 2027, and we will need a lot more ships beyond that. Climbing up to 1/3rd the Chinese fleet should be the priority by 2035.
 
Out of the sanctioned 39 capital warships, IN will have 33 by 2027. But the sanctioned numbers will have to climb by a further 10-15 ships if we are to compete with China. Which means we will need as many as 15-20 new NGD/NGFs in the post 2027 period. We currently operate 23 ships.

PLAN currently has 41 operational destroyers and 15 more entering service by 2021. It's possible more are under construction. There are also 49 active frigates and a new class is coming up soon, and may add 10-20 of this new class. That's a total of 105 ships by 2021. By 2030, this fleet could double, and with ships of far superior designs, like the Type 055.

The USN is a giant. 91 destroyers active and are adding 16 more to the fleet. However 22 of these are the Ticonderogas and are likely to be decommissioned before 2030. Apart from that they plan to add 20 FREMM class frigates, which are actually equivalent to older destroyers in India and China. So they are technically going to add 36 destroyers in the near future. Apart from that, they are gonna operate 24 frigates. But I don't think the actual frigates will play much of a part against China. So that's roughly 105 destroyers before 2030. USN operates much bigger ships with more firepower than the PLAN, but the Chinese should easily be able to exceed that with their Type 055s, as long as they build enough ships.

The Japanese have 41 ships active and 1 more joining the fleet by next year. Out of those, 14 will be decommissioned soon. 27+1 are modern to relatively modern. Next gen destroyers are coming up.

The Australians have 13 active ships. 9 frigates will join the fleet by the end of the decade as replacement ships.

So we have 23 ships now, will climb to 33 by 2027, and we will need a lot more ships beyond that. Climbing up to 1/3rd the Chinese fleet should be the priority by 2035.
We need a white paper on our threats and requirements as soon as possible.
 
We need a white paper on our threats and requirements as soon as possible.

We have a pretty good understanding of IAF and IA's future course of action for the next 20 years.

IA has a publicly informed path of modernisation, a next gen combat vehicle family, FICV and a whole range of guns. Only the future soldier program is mired in secrecy, but I guess that also has a lot to do with the army not yet having finalised anything yet. At least we have somewhat of a fix on the TCS now.

IAF's future is pretty straightforward, LCA, MMRCA, MWF and AMCA. The only thing what we do not have clarity on is the family of wingman drones coming up. For strike it's IUSAV, but for air superiority we do not know. There was a drone with canards released, but that may just be a study. Of course, it will need a next gen indigenous engine with AB anyway.

As for the navy, it's pretty much a blackhole. All we know is some of the terms and some import projects like the P-75I and LHD, which is not a big deal. The terms NGD and NGF are nothing much to go by. For all the new stuff, all we've got is we are getting SSNs and a new class of SSBNs.

So I wouldn't expect a white paper for open source release anytime soon.
 
We have a pretty good understanding of IAF and IA's future course of action for the next 20 years.

IA has a publicly informed path of modernisation, a next gen combat vehicle family, FICV and a whole range of guns. Only the future soldier program is mired in secrecy, but I guess that also has a lot to do with the army not yet having finalised anything yet. At least we have somewhat of a fix on the TCS now.
Ha Hah.
 
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