The multi-role frigate INS Tabar of the Indian Navy was greeted by Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Navy Day parade in St. Petersburg on Sunday.
The Mumbai-based Talwar-class ship was originally built at St. Petersburg’s Baltic Shipyard and commissioned into the Indian fleet in 2004. With a top speed exceeding 30 knots (over 55 km/h), the INS Tabar is designed for versatile combat operations against surface vessels, submarines, and air targets.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), an Indian Navy spokesperson stated that INS Tabar’s visit “further strengthens maritime cooperation between the two nations, underpinned by the interoperability between the navies.”
Commanded by Captain M. R. Harish, the INS Tabar carries 280 crew. The frigate’s voyage to Russia also included stops in Egypt and Morocco, reflecting its strategic operational range. Before arriving in St. Petersburg, INS Tabar made a port call in Hamburg, Germany, on July 17, 2024. During its three-day stay, the frigate engaged in professional exchanges with the German Navy and opened its doors to the public, strengthening maritime relations between the two nations.
The Tabar is expected to take part in INDRA-24 exercises with the Russian navy.
Over the decades, Russia has been one of India’s biggest defense partners and weapons suppliers, including building sophisticated warships and submarines.
In the coming months, the Indian Navy is set to receive two Russian-built warships following delays linked to Ukraine sanctions that hindered delivery, the media reported earlier this year citing unnamed officials in New Delhi.
One of the vessels is likely to be delivered in September and another will arrive early next year, according to the report. The ships are stealth guided-missile frigates of the Project 11356M class, built with hulls previously used in the Admiral Grigorovich Project 11356R class initially intended for the Russian Navy. They are part of a four-ship deal between Moscow and New Delhi signed in 2018. The other two ships will be built in India, in collaboration with Russia.