India To Buy Three Russian Grigorovich-class Frigates Sans Engines

Moscow will export three Admiral Grigorovich-class (Project 11356M) frigates without engines originally intended for Russian Navy Black Sea Fleet to India.

According to a Thursday report in Jane’s Defence Weekly citing an unnamed Russian defense source, "The relevant concealed agreement has been achieved, and India will receive the second three of Project 11356 frigates being built for the Russian Navy. The Indian side has obtained 12 spare tool and accessory kits for the ships.” No price was given.

The only issue at the moment is that the vessels, which are being constructed at the Kaliningrad-based Yantar Shipyard, use a Ukrainian Zorya-Mashproyekt gas-turbine propulsion plant. While Russia has already received the propulsion systems for the first three frigates, the company refused to supply the gas turbines for the last three frigates following Ukrainian arms embargo on Russia due to the Crimean conflict in 2014.

Meanwhile Moscow and New Delhi are considering transporting the frigates' hulls from the Yantar Baltic Shipyard to India to enable the further construction of the ships and the installation of the engines in the country, the news daily reported.

The additional three Project 11356 frigates for the Indian Navy - No. 360 Admiral Butakov, No. 361 Admiral Istomin , and No. 362 Admiral Kornilov - will reportedly be equipped with the BrahMos cruise missile system.