As part of the ongoing Overseas Deployment, INS Tabar entered the Port of Brest, France on 12 July 2021. The ship was received by a Ceremonial Guard of the French Navy on arrival in Port. Mr Jawed Ashraf, Ambassador of India to France and Monaco visited the ship and appreciated the ship’s crew for their contribution to India’s maritime security and in furthering defence cooperation with friendly foreign countries.
The Commanding Officer accompanied by the Indian Defence Adviser called on Vice Admiral Olivier Lebas, Commander of Atlantic Maritime Region (CECLANT) at his Headquarters in Prefecture Maritime Fort, Brest. The ship dressed overall on the occasion of the Bastille Day (national day of France), as per naval custom. On departure from Port, INS Tabar will participate in a Maritime Partnership Exercise with French Navy warship FNS Aquitaine.
INS Tabar (F44) (“battle axe” in Sanskrit) is the third of the Talwar-class frigate of the Indian Navy. The frigate was commissioned on 19 April 2004 in Kaliningrad. INS Tabar, a vessel in the Talwar class to be armed with supersonic BrahMos anti-ship cruise missiles. Along with her sister ships INS Talwar (“sword” in Sanskrit) and INS Trishul (“trident” in Sanskrit), INS Tabar is assigned to Indian Navy’s Western Naval Command, head-quartered in Mumbai.
The surface-to-air weapons systems include one single-rail MS-196 launcher that can launch the long range Shtil-1 (NATO: SA-17) surface-to-air missile. Eight Igla-1E (NATO: SA-16) portable air defence missiles are on board for short-range threats. She is also equipped with Barak 1 missiles. Tabar became the third Indian warship to incorporate an eight cell KBSM 3S-14NE Vertical Launcher and the supersonic BrahMos PJ-10 ASCM (anti-sub/ship/surface cruise missile).
