UPSC & GPSC · Current Affairs
INS Trikand
Source: Indian Navy
What’s in News
Recently, the INS Trikand successfully thwarted a piracy attempt in the Gulf of Aden after pirates approached a merchant vessel, highlighting the Indian Navy’s role in securing international maritime trade routes.
Key Facts
- INS Trikand is a frontline guided missile frigate of the Indian Navy.
- It is the third and final ship of the second batch of Talwar-class stealth frigates acquired by India.
- The vessel was constructed at the Yantar Shipyard in Russia and commissioned on 29 June 2013 at Kaliningrad.
- It serves under the Western Fleet, operating under the Western Naval Command, headquartered at Mumbai.
- Dimensions: Length ~125 metres, displacement ~4,035 tonnes, crew strength ~180 personnel.
- Propulsion: Powered by four gas turbines, capable of speeds exceeding 30 knots.
- Weapons and combat systems: BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, advanced surface-to-air missile systems, an upgraded 190M medium-range naval gun, anti-submarine torpedoes and rocket launchers, and electronic warfare systems, coordinated via a Combat Management System (CMS) and the Trebovaniye-M integrated combat suite.
- Aviation capability: Can operate an embarked Kamov Ka-31 helicopter for airborne surveillance, reconnaissance and early warning.
- Significance: Plays a key role in safeguarding India’s maritime interests, supports anti-piracy and maritime security operations in the Indian Ocean Region, and enhances India’s blue-water naval capabilities.
Consider the following statements regarding INS Trikand:
1. It is a Talwar-class guided missile frigate of the Indian Navy.
2. It is equipped with BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles.
3. It operates under the Eastern Naval Command headquartered in Visakhapatnam.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(A) 1 and 2 only
(B) 2 and 3 only
(C) 1 and 3 only
(D) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (A) 1 and 2 only
Statement 1 is correct: INS Trikand is a Talwar-class guided missile frigate. Statement 2 is correct: it is equipped with BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles. Statement 3 is incorrect – INS Trikand operates under the Western Naval Command, headquartered at Mumbai, not the Eastern Naval Command.
