In exactly nine months from now, the first of the three additional Project 1135.6 guided-missile frigates (FFG) now being built for the Indian Navy (IN) in Russia will enter service, with the remaining two following a year later. The US$1.1 billion (Rs51.14 billion) contract for these three FFGs was inked on July 14, 2006, following which construction got underway at the Kaliningrad-based Yantar Shipyard JSC. The keel-laying ceremony for the first FFG--INS Teg (sabre) F-45--took place on July 27, 2007 and the vessel was launched on November 27, 2009. It is due to undergo her sea trials starting next April. Keel-laying for the second FFG--INS Tarkash (quiver) F-46—took place on November 27, 2007 and the vessel was launched on June 23 last year. Keel-laying for the INS Trikand (bow) F-50 took place on June 11, 2008 and it was due for launch at presstime.
Each of the three follow-on Project 1135.6 FFGs will have a length of 124.8 metres, beamwidth of 15.2 metres, full-load displacement of 4,035 tonnes, and a top speed of 30 Knots. The ship’s Crew compliment will be 220, including 28 officers. The FFGs will also be equipped with the Trebovaniye-M combat management system supplied by Russia’s Meridian Research and Production Enterprise JSC, and an integrated platform management system built by Russia’s Aurora Research and Production Association. Also fitted on board will be the TK-25E-5 integrated electronic warfare suite, four KT-216 decoy launchers, on-board communications suit supplied by India’s Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), four Danish 1mW Wartsila WCM-1000 generator sets with Cummins KTA50G3 engines and Kirloskar 1mV AC generators, Zorya/Mashproekt of Ukraine’s M7N.1E gas turbine propulsion system (comprising twin DS-71 cruise turbines and twin DT-59 boost turbines), plus German water purifiers.
Principal on-board sensors for each of the three FFGs will include one E-band Fregat M2EM circular scan radar for providing target indication to the Shtil-1 surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, a Ratep JSC 5P-10E Puma fire-control system (comprising a passive-phased array target tracking radar along with an optronic illuminator), one I-band Garpun-B long-range surface target acquisition radar, one I-band MR-212/201-1 radar for navigation, a Kelvin Hughes Nucleus-2 6000A marine navigation radar for short-range navigation and surface surveillance, a Ladoga-ME-11356 inertial navigation and stabilisation suite supplied by Elektropribor, four MR-90 Orekh target-illumination radars, and a BEL-made HUMSA Mk2 hull-mounted panoramic sonar. For visual-range engagements, the FFGs will each have a Arsenal JSC-built 100mm A-190(E) main gun and twin KBP Instrument Design Bureau-built Kashtan-M combined gun-missile close-in weapon systems. The principal on-board offensive weapon system will be the eight 290km-range BrahMos Aerospace Ltd-built BrahMos vertically-launched supersonic multi-role cruise missile (capable of both anti-ship strike and land attack) instead of the 220km-range Novator JSC-developed Club-N/3M54TE supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles now on board the IN’s first three Project 1135.6 FFGs--INS Talwar, INS Trishul and INS Tabar. The BrahMos’ shipborne fire-control system is a derivative of the 3R14N-11356 shipborne fire-control system, developed by Russia’s Agat Research & Production Enterprise, while the universal vertical-launch cells are being supplied by Larsen & Toubro.
For area air defence, the Dolgoprudny Research and Production Enterprise DNPP JSC, which is part of the Almaz-Antey Air Defence Concern, is supplying the vertical-launch version of the Shtil-1 SAM system, which will comprise thirty-six 9M317ME SAM rounds (containing within three 12-VL cells) developed by the Altair Naval Radio Electronics Scientific Institute Public Joint Stock Company, which is also a member of the Almaz-Antey Air Defence Concern. The 9M317ME SAMs can be fired at one-to-two-second intervals. The missile is 5.18 metres long and 360mm in diameter. Launch weight of the 9M317ME is 58kg. It is armed with a 62kg blast fragmentation warhead initiated by a dual-mode radar proximity fuze, or a contact fuze. The range is between 3.5km and -32 km, while the altitude coverage is from 5 metres up to 15km. The tail surfaces have a span of 820mm when deployed. After the missile leaves the vertical launcher, a spring mechanism unfolds the tail surfaces and four gas-control vanes operating in the motor efflux turn the missile towards the required direction of flight. Once this turnover manoeuvre is completed, the gas-control vanes are no longer used. Subsequent flight control is via moving tail surfaces. A dual-mode solid-propellant rocket motor provides the missile with a maximum speed of Mach 4.5. In-flight guidance is achieved via a combination of inertial and semi-active radar homing. Also on board each of the three FFGs will be an aft helicopter deck and a hangar for housing a Kamov Ka-28PL or Ka-31 helicopter, and two Pacific 22 MkI rigid inflatable boats (RIB) built by Halmatic, which is owned by the UK-based VT Group. The RIBs are powered by Cummins 4 BTA marine diesel engines rated at 150bhp at 2800 rpm coupled to a Sternpowr leg providing a service speed of 22 Knots.
In another development, Russia has offered India the export version of its new Project 22350 FFG in response to a Request for Information (RFI), issued by India to about a dozen European, Russian and American shipyards in December 2006. The proposed acquisition of these seven new-generation FFGs under the IN’s Project 17A may well be worth more than Rs30,000 crore. The proposed acquisition of these seven FFGs (four of which will be built by Mumbai-based Mazagon Docks Ltd and three by Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd) is apparently meant to offset the delay in the acquisition of modern warships by the IN that had occurred over the past two decades. The design being proposed by Russia’s St Petersburg-based Severnoye PKB (Northern Design Bureau) FSUE has a proposed displacement of about 5,000 tonnes, a length of more than 130 metres, and a beamwidth of 16 metres. To sweeten the proposal, Russia has also offered to make the Project 22350’s hull design scalable, meaning the basic hull deign could also be enhanced into a guided-missile destroyer displacing 8,000 tonnes and housing two medium-lift helicopters on board.—Prasun K. Sengupta
6 comments:
Hi Prasun,
Good to see you blog once again , just a small correction on the Batch 2 1135.6 Frigate.
These frigate do not have VLS launcher for Shtil but Single Arm Launcher like Talwar class with Shtil-1 missile.
The model shown in your post is of the Russian Project 11356 (Admiral Grigorovich Frigate ) for the Black Sea Fleet , five of these types are built by Russia.
You can see the latest picture if INS Tarkash with its single arm Shtil-1 launcher.
http://i24.servimg.com/u/f24/15/54/62/79/tarkas10.jpg
I think the MOD is negotiating for a further 3 of this 1135.6 class to be built in india by private yards.
Hi! I too had doubts about the status of the Shtil-1 (VL or single-arm launcher) on board the three Batch 2 Project 1135.6 FFGs, and therefore wrote to both Yantar Shipyard JSC and Severnoye SDB. Both of them last November confirmed to me in writing that the three new Indian Batch 2 FFGs will have the VL-Shtil on board. It was Severnoye SDB that gave me the photo of the scale-model of this FFG, which was displayed at DEFEXPO 2010, while confirming that this is the definitive design of the Batch 2 Project 1135.6 FFGs destined for the Indian Navy.
To Austin: I still remember the promise I made to you in November 2009 about uploading the charts of comparative performance parameters of the F-16 & MiG-29. Will try to upload them ASAP. Cheers!
Its quite surprising that SDB would say that , if you see the construction of Tarkash its in a very advanced stage where weapons platforms are being fitted out and Single Arm Shtil-1 is out there.
Lets see what comes up , the Russian 1135.6 has VLS launcher ( UKSK Universal VLS launcher ) for VLS Shtil-1 system and Klub missile
On the Gorshkov class frigate , Russia is currently offering an export model of Gorshkov Frigate which goes by the designation 22356 , in reality its a stripped down version of Russian Gorshkov class lacking the key AESA Radar and Redut SAM (9M96 ) plus many other systems.
The export model of Gorshkov is offered with Top Plate/Fregat Radar , Orekh and VLS Shtil-1 ,130mm A-192 Gun besides other system , basically it offers Russian version of 1135.6 Frigate weapons systems, electronics etc on Gorshkov hull.
Check out the pictures of export model Gorshkov Frigate
http://i64.servimg.com/u/f64/15/54/62/79/22356_11.jpg
Looking forward for your comparison chart.
To Austin: I'm as surprised and baffled as you are about the assertions of both SDB and Yantar JSC. But within a few days I'll clear any remaining doubt as I'm due to call on officials at Navy HQ in Delhi. It is best to get the final confirmation from the horse's mouth. Regarding the Project 22356 FFG design, I vaguely remember seeing it at the IMDS 2007 expo in St Petersburg, but by now I would have expected the design to mature further by incorporating the multifunction AESA radar. I hope they don't try to offer the FFG minus the AESA radar to the Indian Navy, especially since the latter is already sold out on the EL/M-2248 MF-STAR and wants this radar to go on board the yet-to-be-selected Project 17A FFG design.
Regarding the three Batch 3 Project 1135.6 FFGs, no final decision has yet been taken as MDL is lobbying hard for a follow-on Batch 2 of three Project 17 FFGs incorporating the MF-STAR radar along with Barak-2 MR-SAM. And going by the MoD's manipulation of the Defence Production/Procurement Procedures, I find it highly unlikely for any privately-owned shipyard to be given the opportunity to build FFGs in future. As it is, entities like Pipavav Shipyard Ltd are finding it extremely hard to even secure firm contracts from the MoD for building OPVs, even though Pipavav is asking for only Rs550 crores per OPV, while Goa Shipyard is quoting Rs800 crores. A very sorry state of affairs indeed.
The AESA radar and full suite of sensors and payload do exist on Russian 22350 Admiral Sergei Gorshkov class ship but the export variant of 22356 has been stripped of all those and is only offered with a modified 1135.6 class Sensors and Weapon suite.
From what I have read the Russians do not want to part with these new systems and needless to say it will be expensive.
Check out the latest model of 22350 FFG and note the difference with the 22356 export model.
http://i64.servimg.com/u/f64/15/54/62/79/admira11.jpg
The new X band AESA controls the 9M96 missile besides other task it does , the IN is highly unlikely to opt for a new AD missile , considering it has invested time and money on Israel 2248/Barak-8 system , so all future ships where ever feasible will come with this system and perhaps they might also adopt a longer range ~150 km being developed for the airforce.
AFAIK the IN is keen to go for a Western Design and/or consultant for P-17A so the chances of any Russian design being chosen is quite remote.
Regarding Private SY you are dot on ,MOD keeps providing lip service on the need to get Private Yard Involved with construction but nothing has changed on ground and private companies who have invested in the hope that MOD will give them some projects has lost their investment.
MOD is after all run by Trade Unions :)
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