The Hindu : First stealth warship inducted into Western Fleet

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 13, 2003

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National

First stealth warship inducted into Western Fleet

By Arunkumar Bhatt

MUMBAI Aug. 12. INS Talwar, the Indian Navy's modern warship which was commissioned at St. Petersburg, Russia, about two months ago, was ceremonially received here today by the Naval Chief, Admiral Madhavendra Singh.

The Navy's first stealth warship, it ushers in the much-vaunted tactics of airborne early warning (AEW). While its stealth features make its detection difficult either by radar or sonar, the AEW capability of its Kamov 31 helicopter warns it of oncoming hostile aircraft.

Its four gas turbines give the 4,000-tonne frigate a speed of over 30 knots. Manned by 28 officers and 225 sailors, INS Talwar is commanded by Capt. Satish Soni.

Admiral Singh told reporters after the ceremony that with its formidable anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine weapons supported by the state-of-the-art sensors, the warship packed more punch than any other vessel of its class.

According to Rear-Admiral Vijay Shanker, chief of the Western Fleet the frigate has joined, it will be deployed for offensive strikes because of its vertically-launchable surface-to-surface Club missiles capable of striking targets at distances of over 200 km. INS Talwar's weapons are integrated into a computerised action information system.

The action information centre onboard is the nerve centre from where all weapons and sensors can be monitored and controlled. The system specially developed for this class of warships provides real time data on tactical situation, target acquisition, etc., for different weapons systems.

Its state-of-the-art Indian-designed and made Sonar system, Humsa, can detect surface and submarine threats.

Its active towed array sonar and composite communication system are also of Indian origin. It has a wide range of electronic warfare equipment.

Admiral Singh said the Navy was holding talks with the Americans for acquiring the PC3 Orion aircraft for long-range maritime patrol or aerial surveillance. The PC3 is capable of tracking a number of surface ships simultaneously. He did not specify the number of aircraft the Navy is negotiating but said that it needed to augment its capability from 13 aircraft to 30 aircraft.

INS Talwar is built by Baltisky Shipyard, St. Petersburg, like its sister ship, INS Trishul, which was commissioned last month. The third ship of the class, INS Tabar, now undergoing trials in the Baltic Sea, is expected to be commissioned in a few months.

Admiral Singh admitted that the Navy was short of ships, as no orders had been placed for a decade from 1985. Attempts were being made to bridge the gap by placing orders with Indian and foreign shipyards and extending the life-span of existing ships with better maintenance and refitting.

Asked about the progress of the indigenous aircraft carrier, the Naval Chief said that the steel for it would be cut this year and building would begin next year. He expected her to be commissioned by 2012 or so. Cochi Shipyard is slated to build the ship.

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