A BrahMos supersonic cruise missile being test fired from a guided missile destroyer

Supersonic BrahMos missiles are being installed on the lead frigate of project 11356 of the first troika of warships built in early 2000s by the Baltic Shipyard, Russian Co-Director of BrahMos Aerospace Alexander Maksichev told TASS.

"The Indian Navy began to overhaul and upgrade the Talwar lead frigate of project 11356 built by the Baltic Shipyard. The Club-N complex will be dismantled and replaced by BrahMos," he said.

"BrahMos Aerospace will supply a vertical 8-cell launcher and control equipment which will be integrated into the frigate armaments," he added.

"Club-N designed by Novator Bureau in Yekaterinburg will be replaced by BrahMos on all the three frigates of project 11356 of the first troika," Maksichev said.

The vertical launcher for eight BrahMos missiles has the same size as Club. "So, there will be no problems with its installation on the three Indian frigates," he added.

The Indian Navy operates six frigates of project 11356 built by the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg (first troika) and Yantar Shipyard (second troika). The second troika is armed with supersonic BrahMos.

The four new frigates of project 11356M for the Indian Navy to be built by Yantar and Goa Shipyard will be armed with BrahMos.