INS Tamal Commissioned: India Adds Powerful Tushil-Class Frigate to Strengthen Indian Ocean Presence 2025

INS Tamal Commissioned in Russia Under Project 11356

The Indian Navy introduced INS Tamal (F71) into action at the Yantan Shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia, on July 1, 2025. When it pertains to Project 1135.6, INS Tamal is the eighth multi-role stealth frigate and the second of the Tushil class of ships that come shortly after. The first ship of the Tushil class, INS Tushil, was inducted on December 9, 24. Seven ships have been newly added so far. They are all part of the Western Fleet, a unit referred to as "The Sword Arm" of the Indian Navy, and is operated by the Western Navy Command. The eight warships created under Project 11356, the INS Tamal, were recently officially handed over to the Indian Navy by Russia. The event was held at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad on July 2. This has been confirmed by the official website of the shipyard. The naval trials for INS Tamal were successfully concluded. They were strictly monitored by a team from India. India is adding two more Tushil-class frigates to its fleet. This is the 2nd one. India hopes to boost its naval position in the Indian Ocean over the long term, and these new warships are part of its plan.   

INS Tamal Powered by Ukrainian Engines Despite War

The ship's engine is one of the most captivating components of this arrival. M7N gas turbines power INS Tamal. These are manufactured in Ukraine by a firm called Zorya-Mashproekt, which is situated in the city of Mykolaiv. Given that there continues to be a conflict going on between Russia and Ukraine, these engines were still used to build and deliver to the ship. India received the engines for the INS Tamal from Ukroboronprom, which is the state-owned defense company of Ukraine. This was done before the most recent phase of the war between Russia and Ukraine. The ship was launched on November 15, 2013, and its name was Admiral Istomin. It was built for the Russian Navy initially. But things were distinct after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. In exchange, Ukraine ceased delivering any military supplies to Russia, including gas turbine engines. This implied that Russia was unable to obtain parts for its ships made in Ukraine.    

The Ship's Journey from Admiral Istomin to INS Tamal

By 2017, Russia had stated that it might opt for a different kind of engine to finish the ship for its own Black Sea Fleet. But still, United24media.com claims that the plan was quietly put off and never went forward. Russia and the Indian governments opted for an accord in 2018 to collaborate. Two unfinished warships, Admiral Istomin and Admiral Butakov, were to be finalized and delivered to the Indian Navy as part of this offer. The ship's construction commenced once again in 2019; however, this time it was controlled and operated by India. It became known as INS Tamal. The hull of the ship was lifted off for the first time in November 2017. This was primarily accomplished to make space at the port and enable the slipway to be utilized for other purposes. Instead, the frigate was officially relaunched in 2024 to begin the final stage of its construction and fitting out, this time for the Indian Navy. 

INS Tamal to Join Western Naval Command in September 2025

In September 2025, INS Tamal will become part of the Indian Navy's Western Naval Command officially. In addition to other naval vessels, it will assist in keeping the Indian Ocean more secure for navigation by patrolling. The Indian Navy will have ten frigates produced under Project 11356 once all the ships are completed. Two more are currently being constructed in India and will likely be ready for service by the end of 2026. Armed frigates from Project 11356 have robust firearms that are capable of handling different threats at sea.  A few of these are: Eight BrahMos ICBMs that can hit locations on land or at sea as far as 300 kilometers. The Shtil-1 air defense system fired 24 surface-to-air missiles directly up into the air to defend the ship from hostile aircraft and rockets. Six AK-630 close-in weapon systems and a 100 mm A-190 E marine firearm for long-range surface targets. These serve as the last lines of defense against missiles and drones. Both the RBU-6000 rocket launchers and the 533 mm torpedo tubes are employed to detect and eliminate enemy submarines that are hidden underneath. In addition to all these weapons, the frigates can defend themselves and strike targets on land, at sea, in the air, and under the water.