NEW DELHI: Impressed with the sheer lethality of the three Talwar-class “stealth” frigates inducted into the Navy during 2003-2004, India is close to finalising another contract with Russia for three more such warships. The three new frigates, which the Navy hopes to commission within the next five years, will be armed with the 300-km range BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to enhance “blue-water capabilities”, say sources.

The Navy is already inducting the unique air-breathing BrahMos, which is even capable of carrying nuclear payloads, in its frontline destroyers and frigates, including the three Talwar-class warships — INS Talwar, INS Trishul and INS Tabar.

The 4,000-tonne Talwar frigates, incidentally, already have “a very high weapon and sensor density”, including eight vertical launch cells for the ‘Klub-N’ anti-ship and anti-submarine cruise missiles, with a strike range over 200-km.

With a cruising range of 4,500 nautical miles, these multi-purpose frigates are also designed to carry one heavy-duty Kamov-31 helicopter for early-warning of “incoming threats” for the entire fleet. In effect, they can handle “several threats” in all the three dimensions — air, surface and sub-surface.

The first three Talwar frigates, delivered a couple of years behind schedule due to malfunctioning missile systems, came at a cost of over Rs30 billion as part of the 1997 deal. India settled the issue of “liquidated damages” arising due to the delay by getting Russia to extend guarantees on the warships. “The three follow-on frigates will cost around the same, with of course standard escalation costs. The negotiations with Russia for them should be wrapped up in another month or two,” said sources.

The government has already assured the Navy of funds for the new frigates, basically meant for anti-submarine warfare and air defence of warship groups, as part of the perspective plan to maintain force-levels at around 140 warships.