INS Tushil will provide a significant boost to India’s naval supremacy in the Indian ocean and enhance the efforts of Indian Navy to amplify maritime security amid growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific region and naval competition with China and Pakistan.
In a major boost to India’s naval strength, INS Tushil, Indian Navy’s guided missile frigate, is set to arrive in India after it departed from the Russian city of Kaliningrad following the warship’s induction into the Indian Naval on December 9 in the presence of Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.
The warship, measuring 125 meters in length and weighing 3,900 tonnes, is equipped with BrahMos supersonic missiles, and will join the Indian Navy’s Western Fleet upon its arrival in India.
According to analysts, INS Tushil will provide a significant boost to India’s naval supremacy in the Indian ocean and enhance the efforts of Indian Navy to amplify maritime security amid growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific region and naval competition with China and Pakistan.
INS Tushil will enhance India’s naval power, say experts
Experts believe INS Tushil, which will primarily be stationed in the Arabian Sea and the Western Indian Ocean, holds strategic importance for India in wake of the growing naval power of Pakistan and China.
“India’s nuclear submarines are designed to deal with threats from China, but INS Tushil is a guided missile warship, whose role is different from submarines. The frigate will help in maintaining an independent system in the Arabian Sea and the Western Indian Ocean, especially given the close security ties between Pakistan and China and Beijing’s interest in using Gwadar port, INS Tushil will strengthen India’s control in the Indian Ocean,” says Dongkeun Lee, a research scholar at the Strategic and Defense Studies Center at the Australian National University, according to a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
According to former Indian Navy chief Admiral (Retd) Arun Prakash, the Indian Navy always plans ahead and the induction of INS Tushil is no different. The former officer believes that the Navy would’ve included Chinese activities in both the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean while planning for the future.
Indian Navy needs more submarines
Experts assert that INS Tushil will enhance the offensive and defensive capabilities of Indian Navy and and ensure its supremacy in the Indian Ocean region but point out the Navy’s shortcomings when it comes to underwater warfare, mainly due it aging fleet.
“The induction of INS Tushil in the Indian Navy is a step towards modernization of the fleet. However, the Chinese Navy is still incorporating 3-5 warships against one warship of India,” says Dr Walter Ladwig, Professor of International Relations at King’s College London.
“When it comes to expanding India’s naval capabilities, the major shortcomings are in underwater warfare and the old submarine fleet. Submarines are necessary to prevent enemy forces from accessing those waterways, which are important for India’s maritime security,” he noted.
Dr Ladwig’s concerns are echoed by Atul Kumar, a Fellow with the Strategic Studies Program of the Observer Research Foundation, a New Delhi-based think tank. Kumar believes that the Indian Navy needs to focus on enhancing its offensive capabilities by inducting more submarines.
