23 June 2025: PIB Summary For UPSC

1. INDIAN NAVY SET TO COMMISSION THE LATEST STEALTH FRIGATE TAMAL IN RUSSIA

(Source – PIB (Press Information Bureau), June 23, 2025)

Topic: GS Paper 3 – Defence & Security

Context

India continues its long-standing naval collaboration with Russia by inducting a state-of-the-art stealth frigate, enhancing its maritime power and strategic deterrence and aligning with objectives under ‘Make in India’ and Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

Content

a. Commissioning Ceremony

• Scheduled for 1 July 2025 at Yantar Shipyard, Kaliningrad, Russia.

• Presided over by Vice Admiral Sanjay J. Singh, FOC-in-C Western Naval Command, with senior Indian and Russian defence officials in attendance.

b. ‘Tamal’ – The Stealth Frigate

• Eighth Krivak-class frigate; second of the upgraded ‘Tushil’ series following the Talwar and Teg classes. India is also building two ‘Triput’ class ships at Goa Shipyard under transfer of technology. 

c. Indigenous Integration & Aatmanirbhar Bharat

• Achieves ~26% indigenous content – a first for foreign-built warships – including the BrahMos cruise missile.

• 33 Indian-origin systems onboard, doubling prior levels. Key OEMs involved: BrahMos, Bharat Electronics, Keltron, Nova (Tata), Elcome, Johnson Controls. 

d. Enhanced Capabilities

• Weapons & sensors: vertically-launched SAMs, upgraded 100 mm gun, EO/IR suite, 30 mm CIWS, heavyweight torpedoes, ASW rockets, advanced radars & fire-control systems.

• Supports AEW and MR helicopters; network-centric warfare architecture and electronic warfare systems.

• Specs: 125 m length, 3,900 T displacement, >30 knots top speed, extended endurance. 

e. Collaborative Construction & Training

• Built under supervision of Indian naval specialists at Kaliningrad; project steered by DNPS under CWP&A at Naval HQ.

• Crew (250+ personnel) trained in severe winter conditions and through sea trials lasting three months to validate performance. 

f. Symbolism & Strategic Significance

• Name ‘Tamal’ represents Indra’s mythical sword; mascot of Eurasian brown bear (shared symbol of India–Russia); crew known as ‘The Great Bears’.

• Motto: “Sarvada Sarvatra Vijaya” – “Victorious Always Every time” – echoing naval ethos and reinforcing the Indo–Russian strategic partnership.

g. Operational Role

• Upon induction, Tamal will join the Western Fleet’s ‘Sword Arm’, enhancing readiness and multi-dimensional capabilities in maritime theatres.

Way Forward

• Tamal exemplifies India’s drive towards self-reliance in defence, hybridising imported design with indigenous systems, laying groundwork for future naval platforms built domestically.

• Future ‘Triput’ frigates under construction will further amplify indigenous capacity, contributing to Mission P-75I and broader naval modernisation.

Practice Question: Discuss how the induction of stealth frigates like ‘Tamal’, combining foreign platforms with indigenous systems, aligns with India’s strategic objectives under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. What are the long‑term implications for India’s naval modernisation and defence diplomacy?

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