Yesterday we welcomed a rare visitor to the West India Dock with the arrival of the Indian Navy Ship Tarkash. INS Tarkash (F50) is the fifth Talwar-class frigate constructed for the Indian Navy. The ship was built at the Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia. She was commissioned to Navy service in 2012 and joined the Western Naval Command on 27 December 2012.

Tarkash belongs to the Talwar class of guided missile frigates which are modified Krivak III-class frigates built by Russia. Whilst much of the equipment on board is Russian made, a large number of the systems were made in India.

In March 2015, Tarkash was deployed with INS Mumbai and INS Sumitra as part of Operation Raahat to provide protection and support to Indian ships and aircraft involved in the evacuation of Indian citizens from Yemen.

The ship was open to the public yesterday and will stay in the dock till the 10th May 2017.

Most of the warships that visit the dock are European, therefore a visitor from India is unusual and offers a rare opportunity to view this particular kind of frigate.