The ‘Talwar’ class guided missile frigates represent the cutting edge of technology in stealth, reach and punch. They have ushered in highly automated integrated weapon platforms that are essential for blue water operations by the Indian Navy. Commissioning of these new frigates not only enhances India’s defensive potential at sea but also dramatically affects the power equations in Asia.

INS Trishul, the second of the three ‘Talwar’ class guided missile frigates, joined the arsenal of Indian Navy this year. The ship was commissioned by the then Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command
Vice Admiral Arun Prakash at
St Petersburg, Russia on June 25, this year. The ship is commanded by
Capt SPS Cheema, a gunnery and missile specialist. It has a complement of 32 officers and 228 sailors.

The Indian Navy signed a contract for supply of three vessels and support equipment in November 1997. The design has been customised to cater to specific Indian Naval requirements encompassing an intelligent blend of Russian, Western and indigenous equipment. The ships built by Baltiysky Shipyard at St Petersburg are the first of the stealth frigates being inducted into the Indian Navy and represent a quantum leap in terms of technology and weapon punch. In contrast to the lead ship INS Talwar, the sea trials of Trishul were considerably shortened as the ship performed well.

INS Trishul, as the traditions go in the Armed Forces, takes her name and pennant number (F 43) from the old Trishul, a ‘Whitby’ class frigate which was built in the United Kingdom and commissioned in the Indian Navy in 1962. The old Trishul served as one of the frontline ships of the Indian Navy for 32 years and won battle honours in the liberation of Goa in 1961 and the conflicts of 1965 and 1971. Significantly, the ship was also part of the task group that carried out the raid on Karachi in December 1971.

A guided missile frigate’s mission spans the entire spectrum of naval warfare both as a single unit and a consort ship. Trishul is well endowed to take up this role. The propulsion plant which includes four gas turbines enables her to cruise in excess of 30 knots. All weapon systems are integrated into a versatile computer aided action information system which can monitor and control under any threat. These ships, equipped with state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, are being inducted into the Indian Ocean region for the first time.

The weapon suite of Trishul includes a long range surface-to-surface missile capable of striking targets at a range in excess of 200 kms, a 100 mm artillery gun with capability of firing 100 rounds per minute, advance torpedo launchers and anti- submarine rocket launchers. The ship has a wide array of state-of-the-art electronic warfare equipment. She also operates Kamov 31 helicopter for airborne early warning.

In Indian mythology "trishul" is a powerful weapon of Lord Shiva that was effectively used by him to ward off evil. Similarly, surviving the onslaught of Trishul is impossible. The crest of the ship depicts a strong arm rising out from under the sea, holding the powerful trident. Like the mythological weapon, Trishul is powerful in all three dimensions-air, surface and sub-surface. It is a warship that is feared for her lethality and brutal power.