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13 August 2024

India Launches Russian Stealth Frigates as New Delhi and Moscow Strengthen Defense Partnership

Syed Fazl-e-Haider

On July 24, New Delhi launched the first of two Russian-supplied advanced stealth frigates for the Indian Navy. India contracted four frigates from Russia in October 2016, two of which were to be built in Russia and two in India. One of the vessels, named Triput after the mighty arrow representing the indomitable spirit of the Indian Navy, was built at the Goa Shipyard in India. It is 125 meters long with a width of 15 meters and has an estimated displacement of approximately 3,600 tons and maximum speed of 28 knots (The Hindu, July 25). The first ship built in Russia is scheduled to join the Indian Navy in September, and the second ship from Russia by February 2025. The delivery of the two stealth frigates being constructed at Yantar Shipyard in Russia has been delayed mainly due to Moscow’s war against Ukraine and Western sanctions. The recent transfer comes from a $500 million technology transfer deal signed in 2018 between Goa Shipyard and Rosoboronexport, the Russian state agency overseeing the export of military and dual-use technologies. Under the deal, Rosoboronexport will assist with the local manufacturing of two frigates in material and design (The Hindu, July 15). All this is emblematic of New Delhi and Moscow expanding their military and defense partnership in recent years, as the Kremlin has had to find willing partners for military exports due to Western sanctions and seeks to expand its influence in South Asia.

India and Russia have been strategic partners since the Cold War, during which they signed the 1971 Indo-Soviet Treaty of Peace, Friendship, and Cooperation (South China Morning Post, July 6). Since then, Russia has become India’s largest supplier of defense equipment. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, since 2017, Moscow has accounted for $8.5 billion of the $18.3 billion New Delhi has spent on arms imports (The Economic Times, August 14, 2023). India has purchased fighter jets, tanks, nuclear submarines, and an aircraft carrier from Russia over the decades. In 2023, Russia delivered three out of five S-400 Triumph air defense system units to India, purchased for $5.4 billion in 2018. The Indian Air Force (IAF) is also heavily dependent on Russia for spare parts of its Su-30MKI and MiG-29 fighter jets (Dawn, March 24, 2023).

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