London, United Kingdom:
The Indian Navy’s newest stealth-guided missile frigate, INS Tushil, has made its inaugural port of call in London as part of its first operational voyage.
On Sunday, Commodore Robert Bellfield, the Royal Navy Commander for London and Eastern England, officially welcomed the vessel on behalf of the British government. Captain Peter Varghese led INS Tushil’s crew during this significant event.
“It is a privilege to host INS Tushil in London for her initial international visit. This event signifies the deepening ties between the Indian Navy and the Royal Navy alongside our two nations’ mutual interests,” commented Bellfield.
Sujit Ghosh, India’s Deputy High Commissioner to the UK, also visited the frigate docked at London’s River Thames prior to its london-on-first-operational-voyage/” title=”INS Tushil: Navy's Daring Warship Makes Splash in London on First Operational Voyage!”>departure scheduled for Monday evening.
#INSTushil India’s latest guided missile stealth frigate has arrived in #London on #21Dec 24 as it heads back to #India. This marks a pivotal moment in strengthening naval collaboration between #IndianNavy & @RoyalNavy.
This visit aims to enhance bilateral relations and… https://t.co/4ROjrRT8pn pic.twitter.com/g0AdSIvlH6
— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) December 23, 2024
The ship was constructed in Russia and was officially commissioned on December 9 with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh present at the ceremony. It commenced its journey from Kaliningrad on December 17.
A statement from India’s Ministry of Defence detailed that INS Tushil will navigate through crucial maritime regions including the Baltic Sea, North Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and eventually into the Indian Ocean while making various stops at allied nations along its route.
“The inaugural deployment of INS Tushil will embrace key objectives such as diplomatic engagement and military collaboration,” added a ministry spokesperson. Throughout this mission, it is scheduled to conduct joint patrols and maritime strategy exercises with multiple naval forces encountered during its travels across piracy-prone waters.”
During her port visits, INS Tushil aims to participate in skill-building initiatives alongside local navies while engaging senior military officials from participating governments. These calls will also facilitate connections with members of India’s diaspora residing throughout these areas.
The ministry highlighted that these port visits and related exercises signify India’s commitment toward fostering maritime partnerships with regional countries thereby reinforcing our duty towards protecting navigational safety for all maritime communities.
(This piece has not been altered by NDTV staff aside from headline adjustments; it originates from a syndicated source.)
