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Russia, which has been at war with Ukraine for more than 50 days, has promised not to affect India’s arms supply. While the deliveries of the Second Regiment of Missile Defense System S-400 are likely to be postponed for a few months, Russia has promised to supply two Talwar-class stealth frigates to the Indian Navy as per schedule.
Four frigates were contracted with Russia
An Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) was signed between India and Russia in 2016 for the purchase of four stealth frigates. According to the $1 billion agreement, two stealth frigates were to be built in Russia, while the remaining two would be done under construction technology transfer to Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL). The Hindu in its report quoted an Indian defense official as saying that the construction of all the four frigates has started.
Warships are run by these gas turbine engines.
First delay due to Corona, now the war with Ukraine is stuck
In fact, both the frigates to be built in Russia were earlier to be delivered to India by the end of 2022, but their construction was delayed last year due to the havoc of Corona. Due to this, the first frigate was scheduled to be handed over to the Indian Navy in the middle of 2023 with a delay of about 8 months.
Of the two warships to be built in Goa, the delivery of the first is scheduled in 2026 and the delivery of the second after 6 months. However, now that Russia’s war with Ukraine has begun, this timeline is believed to be in danger.
All four frigates will run on Ukrainian company’s engine, this is the real screw
An Indian defense official said that all four frigates would be powered by gas turbine engines, which were to be supplied by Ukraine’s Zorya-Mashproket company. If defense experts are to be believed, then this screw is stuck in the construction of these four frigates. The Zorya-Mashproket company’s main factory was in the Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv, which was badly hit by a Russian military missile attack on the city on March 13.
In the pictures and videos that came out after the attack, the smoke of the massive fire caused by the missile attack has also been seen rising from this factory. According to a defense official, the attack is likely to affect the Indian Navy badly, which has been using the engines of this company extensively.
The Zoraya Company campus affected by a Russian military attack in the Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv.
The company has given the engines of frigates being made in Russia
The good news is that even before the war, the Zoraya-Mashproket company had supplied engines for both the Indian frigates being built in Russia. These engines were delivered to India. After this, they have been sent to Russia and installed in frigates, but the necessary tests of both these frigates have been postponed due to war.
According to another defense official, the company had also informed about the engines being ready for the frigates being built in GSL, but the war started before taking their delivery.
Diplomatic sources claim tests will be completed on time
However, diplomatic sources linked to Russia claim that the Russian authorities have ruled out the possibility of any delay. He says that Russia has promised to deliver on time despite the war.
Indian defense officials say that some of the engine-related load may be given to the Indian Navy’s Marine Gas Turbine Overhaul Center in Visakhapatnam, which handles the repair and maintenance of the Zorya engines. In November last year, Zoraya and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) had also announced a joint venture, in which some components of the Joraya turbine engines were to be locally made in India. However, the current status of this JV is not clear yet.
Most of the warships of the Indian Navy are running on Zoraya engines.
Indian Navy may become useless without Zorya engines
At present, the Indian Navy is heavily dependent on the engines of the Zoraya company. Indian Navy’s 30 frontline warships are getting power from Jorya engines. These include Rajput-class destroyers, Delhi-class destroyers, missile corvettes. Apart from this, the same engines are also installed in the 6 Krivak or Talwar-class steel frigates currently serving in the Indian Navy.