India Receives Russian Warship Boost Amid China Tensions

Russia will provide four warships—the first scheduled for delivery this month—armed with supersonic missiles to India, a competitor of its quasi-ally China, according to a new report.

The future warships of India are Project 11356 frigates, designed by Russia for the Indian Navy. The two countries signed contracts in 2018, which involved two vessels “made in Russia,” while the rest will be built in India, Russian state-run news agency RIA Novosti reported.

These warships will be equipped with BrahMos missiles that were developed and manufactured by India and Russia. The BrahMos is a cruise missile with anti-ship and land-attack capabilities. It has a range of 180 miles and is able to fly at supersonic speed, about 768 miles per hour at sea level.

The Philippines, which is involved in maritime disputes in the South China Sea with China, received the first batch of BrahMos missiles from India in April. Manila has hailed this weapon as a “game-changer” that will significantly beef up the country’s coastal defenses amid tensions with Beijing.

The Project 11356 frigate has a displacement of over 3,800 tons and is capable of conducting strikes at enemy surface ships and submarines, as well as combating aerial threats. It is armed with a naval artillery gun, anti-ship and air-defense missile systems, and torpedoes, according to the report.

The first of the four frigates is set for transferring this month, while the second frigate will be delivered by February next year. The third and fourth ships, which are “made in India” unlike the previous two ships, will be handed over in 2026 and six months after that, respectively.

Russia has been a major supplier of arms to India. The South Asian country accounted for 36 percent of the Kremlin’s arms between 2019 and 2023. However, unconfirmed reports said India has begun to minimize its use of outdated Russian arsenal and halted large weaponry orders from Moscow.

Following the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, India continued to buy oil from Russia, providing a lifeline for its economy and war machine, which were both targeted by sanctions from the Western countries. India is one of the countries designated “friendly” by Russia.

Meanwhile, Russia has a comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation with China as they enjoy a relationship at an “unprecedentedly high level” amid tensions with the United States. The Kremlin has said that Moscow and Beijing have close approaches on key international issues.

India and China, both nuclear-armed and sharing a 2,100-mile de facto border known as the Line of Actual Control, have seen multiple military standoffs and skirmishes over the years. A melee involving two militaries in mid-2020 led to 20 Indian casualties and at least four Chinese deaths.

The rapid expansion of Beijing’s fleet of warships has also worried New Delhi. The Chinese Navy has been operating in the Indian Ocean, an area that India views as its backyard, more frequently.

China’s navy is the biggest in the world with 370 ships in service, including three aircraft carriers. India demonstrated the capability of two aircraft carriers—the Russian-origin INS Vikramaditya and the locally built INS Vikrant—operating together during the end of February and into March.