INS Teg joins Western Fleet

The Western Fleet, which forms the Indian Navy's Sword Arm, received a fillip to its combat power with the arrival of the latest acquisition - INS Teg. The ship built by M/s Yantar Shipyard, Russia, is the first of three Talwar Class Follow-on ships ordered by the Indian Navy. The frigate was commissioned on 27 Apr 12 at Kaliningrad, Russia, and has a crew of 24 officers and 229 sailors.

INS Teg is an advanced version of Talwar class frigates that are in service in the Western Fleet since 2002-04, outfitted with an upgraded-suite of weapons and sensors.  Armed with the supersonic Brahmos cruise missiles, Teg is the first ship to have this unique capability on the Western seaboard. The ship is also armed with Surface-to-Air missile systems, upgraded medium range gun, optically controlled  Close-in Weapon System, Torpedo tubes and Antisubmarine rockets. Keeping in line with the Navy's pursuit for indigenisation, Teg also incorporates a large indigenous equipment content.

Returning to India after a period of over six months, crew of INS Teg were accorded a warm homecoming at the Naval Dockyard, in Mumbai. The welcome ceremony was presided over by Vice Admiral P Murugesan, Chief of Staff, Western Naval Command and witnessed by a large number of family members of the ship's crew as well as several representatives of the shipbuilders, M/s Yantar Shipyard, system contractors including M/s BrahMos Aerospace and the Consul General of Russia in Mumbai.

Earlier, the ship's crew had departed Mumbai in Dec 11 to undergo comprehensive training at Russian Naval training institutes, before commencing extensive ship trials and testing, in conjunction with a specially appointed Naval team for Delivery Acceptance. With the completion of trials, the ship was handed over to the Indian Navy and commissioned on 27 Apr 12. During her maiden return passage to Mumbai, Teg made port calls at Hamburg (Germany), Cadiz (Spain), Valetta (Malta), Limassol (Cyprus), Port Said (Egypt) and Salalah (Oman) to strengthen  the bridges  of friendship and international co-operation. In Hamburg, the ship also participated in the 823rd Hamburg Port Festival, where Sh. Anand Sharma, Union Minister of Commerce, Industry and Textiles inaugurated the ‘Days of India in Germany’, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Germany. In addition to participating in the arrival and departure parades at the festival, INS Teg evoked a huge interest from the local populace.