INS Talwar (F40)
INS Talwar (F40) in 2020
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History | |
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India | |
Name | INS Talwar |
Namesake | "Sword" |
Ordered | 17 November 1997 |
Builder | Baltiysky Zavod |
Laid down | 10 March 1999 |
Launched | 12 May 2000 |
Commissioned | 18 June 2003 |
Status | in active service |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Talwar-class frigate |
Displacement |
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Length | 124.8 m (409 ft) |
Beam | 15.2 m (50 ft) |
Draught | 4.5 m (15 ft) |
Propulsion |
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Speed | 30 knots (56 km/h) |
Range |
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Complement | 180 (including 18 officers) |
Sensors and processing systems |
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Armament | |
Aircraft carried | 1 x Ka-28 Helix-A, Ka-31 Helix B or HAL Dhruv helicopter |
INS Talwar (F40) (translated as "Sword") is the lead ship of the Talwar-class frigates of the Indian Navy. Its name means "Sword" in Hindi (see Talwar). She was built in Russia, and commissioned into the Indian Navy on 18 June 2003.
Talwar is a multirole frigate and true to her name, has participated in various operations and exercises since her commissioning, including anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia.
Design
[edit]Talwar is the lead ship of her class of frigates. The Talwar-class guided missile frigates are modified Krivak III-class frigates built by Russia. Much of the equipment on the ship is Russian-made, but a significant number of systems of Indian origin have also been incorporated.
Operational history
[edit]Talwar was built by the Baltiyskiy shipyard. She was launched in May 2000. Delivery to the Indian Navy was scheduled for May 2002 after running, state and acceptance trials. Sea trials were completed in the Baltic Sea on 29 May 2002. The ship was commissioned formally into the Indian Navy on 18 June 2003 by (later Vice Admiral) Satish Soni. INS Talwar arrived home at Mumbai's Naval Dockyard on 12 August 2003, after a long journey from St. Petersburg.[2]
The ship is affiliated with the 16th Light Cavalry Regiment of the Indian Army and continues to be a frontline warship of the Indian Navy's Western Fleet[3]
Service history
[edit]INS Talwar has been deployed around the Indian Ocean, making friendly visits at various ports.[4] She has also participated in various exercises including Malabar 2008 with the United States Navy,[5] multinational maritime exercise ‘Cutlass Express 2021 (CE21)[6] and with the French Navy.[4]
Anti-piracy measures off the Somali coast
[edit]On 28 May 2009 at around 10:20 GMT, while about 225 nautical miles (417 km) east of Aden, Talwar received a distress signal from a merchant vessel MV Maud about a skiff with eight armed persons on board approaching it at very high speed. The frigate immediately dispatched its Chetak helicopter armed with 7.62mm light machine guns which spotted pirates scrambling up a ladder hooked to MV Maud. The helicopter fired on the two pirates on the ladder and they fell into the sea. Simultaneously, the frigate sent its MARCOS team led by Ram Narain by high-speed inflatables boat to intercept the skiff. Six pirates were disarmed and their cache of Kalashnikov assault rifles, Katyushka rockets, a rocket launcher, flares and mobile phones were seized. The pirates were later arrested by warships from the global task force in a follow-up action.[7]
On 13th April 2024, INS Talwar intercepted a suspicious dhow in the western Arabian Sea and confiscated a staggering 940 kilograms of contraband narcotics. The seized contents included 453 kg of methamphetamines, 416 kg of hash and 71 kg of heroin. The frigate was part of the Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 led focussed Operation Crimson Barracuda. The operation was carried out precisely by MARCOS of Indian Navy. The operation was a part of Operation Crimson Barracuda.[8][9][10]
On 22 September 2024, INS Talwar reached Mombasa, Kenya on a friendly visit under the command of Captain Jithu George and a crew of around 300 personnel.[11] The port call saw activities like cross deck visits and programmes during the harbour phase. Also, after the end of the port call, INS Talwar participated in EEZ surveillance and Maritime Partnership Exercise with KNS Shujaa.[12] On 6 October 2024, INS Talwar reached Simon's Town, South Africa for Exercise IBSAMAR VIII.[13][14] The exercise concluded on 20 October 2024.[15] On 27 October 2024, INS Talwar reached La Réunion, France as part of its overseas deployment in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).[16]
References
[edit]- ^ "Advanced Active cum Passive Integrated Sonar System". BEL. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ "Talwar Class Destroyer Project 11356". globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
- ^ "INS Talwar affiliated with 16th Light Cavalry". Zee News. 30 September 2005.
- ^ a b "India begins naval games with France, Africa". IBNLive. Press Trust of India. 17 August 2008. Archived from the original on 12 March 2009. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
- ^ "Malabar 2008: India, United States Begin Arabian Sea Naval War Games from 20 October 2008". india-defence.com. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2009.
- ^ "INS Talwar reaches Mombasa to participate in Exercise Cutlass Express 2021". India Today. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
- ^ "Indian warship prevents another hijack attempt in Gulf of Aden". The Times of India. 30 May 2009. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
- ^ Peri, Dinakar (16 April 2024). "INS Talwar seizes 940 kgs narcotics in Western Arabian Sea". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ^ "Indian Navy seizes 940kg drugs in Arabian Sea in 1st interdiction as CMF Member". Hindustan Times. 16 April 2024. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ^ "Indian Navy's INS Talwar seizes 940 kgs of narcotics in operation Crimson Barracuda". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ^ "INDIAN NAVAL SHIP TALWAR ARRIVES IN MOMBASA, KENYA". Press Information Bureau. 23 September 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
- ^ ANI; ThePrint (30 September 2024). "INS Talwar, Kenyan Navy Ship Shujaa hold Maritime Partnership Exercise in Mombasa". ThePrint. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
- ^ "INS Talwar in South Africa for IBSAMAR VIII Ahead of BRICS Summit". Financialexpress. 10 October 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
- ^ "INS TALWAR ARRIVES SOUTH AFRICA TO PARTICIPATE IN IBSAMAR VIII". Press Information Bureau. 9 October 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
- ^ "INS Talwar Hosts Social Interaction Marking Successful Completion of IBSAMAR VIII". 20 October 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ Service, Statesman News (28 October 2024). "INS Talwar docks at La Réunion, boosting India-France Naval collaboration". The Statesman. Retrieved 29 October 2024.