Frigates, which are naval vessels intermediate between corvettes and destroyers, have had a significant role in the naval history of India. Although the Maratha Navy, the naval branch of the armed forces of the Maratha Empire, used Grabs and Gallivats to project naval power, the concept of frigates (formerly called sloops) was introduced by the British. , and , of the , were some of the early sloops commissioned into the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) during the 1920s. These ships later served in the Second World War. Later, in the 1930s, sloops of the , , , , and classes were commissioned.
The RIN was expanded significantly during the Second World War. The sloops and , of the Black Swan class, took part in Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily. In 1945, HMIS Dhanush and HMIS Shamsher, of the , were the first frigates, so-called, to be commissioned. Several frigates of the River class were also commissioned. Some of them were later transferred to Pakistan during partition.
In the post-war period, the Indian Navy operated frigates from the , , , , and classes. The Nilgiri-class frigates were the first major warships to be built in India, in association with Yarrow Shipbuilders of the United Kingdom. Later in the 2000s, the Indian Navy, collaborating with Russia for the first time, acquired six under Project 1135.6, designated as . , 12 guided-missile frigates from three different classes – , Talwar, and – are operated by the Indian Navy.
Ships currently in commission
The is the largest of the frigate classes presently in service . is the lead ship of the class and the first stealth warship built by India. All three ships of this class were built by Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai, from 2000 to 2010. With their improved stealth features and land-attack capabilities, the Shivalik-class warships were originally conceived as successors to the six s, which are modified Krivak III-class vessels built by Russia for the Indian Navy. The Talwar class was preceded by the s, which were built by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers in Kolkata. Three ships of this class are still in service with the Indian Navy.
Shivalik class
The Shivalik class, or Project 17 class, is a class of multi-role frigates in service with the Indian Navy. They are the first stealth warships built in India. A total of three ships were built between 2000 and 2010, and all three were in commission by 2012. The Shivalik class, along with the seven Project 17A frigates being developed from them , are projected to be the principal frigates of the Indian Navy in the first half of the 21st century. All ships of the class were built by Mazagon Dock Limited. The class and the ships are named after hill ranges in India. Originally conceived as a successor to the Talwar-class frigates, the Shivalik-class frigates feature improved stealth features and land-attack capabilities.
Talwar class
The Talwar class, also known as Project 1135.6, is a class of guided-missile frigates designed and built by Russia for the Indian Navy, as modified Krivak III-class frigates (the class that is also the basis of the Russian ), with a number of systems of Indian design and manufacture, including anti-submarine sensors (sonar) and communications equipment. Each ship of this class has a displacement of 4,000 tons and speed of and is capable of accomplishing a wide variety of missions, primarily finding and eliminating enemy submarines and large surface ships. Due to the use of stealth technologies and a special hull design, the frigate operates with reduced radar cross section (RCS), as well as reduced electromagnetic, acoustic, and infrared signatures.
Brahmaputra class
The Brahmaputra-class frigates (Type 16A or Project 16A) are guided-missile frigates of the Indian Navy, designed and built in India. They are an enhancement of the Godavari class, with the same displacement, 3850 tons, and length, , but with different configuration, armaments, and capabilities. Three ships of this class serve in the Indian Navy. The class and the ships, are named for Indian rivers.
Decommissioned ships
Most of the decommissioned frigates or sloops of the Indian Navy originated in the United Kingdom.