July 19th - The Indian Navy announced the completion of exercises with the French Navy’s FREMM Aquitaine and the INS Tabar frigate.
Indian Navy press release
INS Tabar, on completion of port visit to Brest, France undertook Maritime Partnership Exercise with FNS Aquitaine, a French naval Frigate in the Bay of Biscay on 15 and 16 July 2021. A twin engine helicopter (NH 90) from FNS Aquitaine and four Rafale fighter aircraft from French Navy also participated in the exercise.
A wide range of operations like Anti – Submarine, Surface Manoeuvers, Replenishment at Sea approach, Firing on target, Visit Board Search & Seizure (VBSS), Steam Past, Air Defence, Air Picture Compilation, Vertical Replenishment and crossdeck operations were exercised by the ships. The exercise was mutually beneficial in enhancing interoperability and towards consolidating combined operations against maritime threats.
End of the press release
About the INS Tabar and the Talwar class Frigates
Commissioned by the Indian Navy in 2004, the INS Tabar is the third ship of the Talwar class guided missile frigates. They are improved versions of the Krivak III frigates sold by Russia to the Indian Navy in 1997.
Heavily armed for their modest 3850 tons displacement, the six frigates in active duty each carry eight Klub SSM fired from the 3S14E VLS cells or the domestically produced BrahMos missile for the second batch of ships, able of both anti-ship and land attacks missions. For air defence the frigates are equipped with the 3S-90 arm launcher for the 24 9M317 SAMs with a maximum range of 45km.
For anti-submarine missions, two twin 533mn fixed tubes are on each side for th SET-65e torpedoes. Additionally the RPK-8 system for 12 ASW rockets or depth charges is fitted.
Moreover, with its 100mn main gun, the A-190E, capable of firing 60 rounds per minute at targets 15 kilometers away, the two AK-630 CIWS and the two Kashtan CIWS, the naval artillery is more than consequent, as if it often is on ships of Russian design.
The Indian Navy is currently operating such frigates with two additional ships already laid down for Batch 3 expected to be commissioned in 2022 and two more in Batch 4 intended for 2026.
