Brahmaputra-class frigate

INS Brahmaputra of the Brahmaputra class on Exercise Malabar
Class overview
Name:	Brahmaputra class
Builders:	Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers
Operators:	Indian Navy
Preceded by:	Godavari class
Succeeded by:	Talwar class
Planned:	3
Completed:	3
Active:	3
General characteristics
Type:	Guided-missile frigate
Displacement:	Standard: 3,600 tonnes Full load: 3,850 tonnes
Length:	126.4 m (415 ft)
Beam:	14.5 m (48 ft)
Draught:	4.5 m (15 ft)
Propulsion:	2 BHEL Bhopal steam turbines delivering 22,370kW (30,000shp) to 2 shafts
Speed:	30+ knots
Range:	4,500 nautical miles (8,330 km; 5,180 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement:	300
Sensors and processing systems:	Radar BEL RAWS-03 air/surface search radar BEL/Signaal RAWL-02 (PLN 517) air search radar Decca Bridgemaster/BEL Rashmi PIN 524 navigation radar BEL Aparna Fire Control radar (Kh-35 SSM) Elta EL/M-2221 Search, Track & Guidance/Gunnery Radar (Barak SAM) Sonar BEL HUMSA (Hull Mounted Sonar Array) Thales Sintra towed array sonar OE BEL Shikari opto-electronic trackers (guns)
Electronic warfare & decoys:	BEL Ajanta Mk.2C Electronic Warfare system ELLORA Electronic Support Measures system BEL Radar Warning Receiver Suite Decoy 2 × chaff/flare launcher Super Barricade chaff launcher 2 × Graesby G738 or BEL TOTED towed torpedo decoy
Armament:	16 × Kh-35 (SS-N-25) SSM (4 × quadruple KT-184 launchers) 24 × Barak SAM (3 × 8 cell VLS units) 1 × OTO Melara 76 mm gun 4 × AK-630 6-barreled 30 mm gatling gun 2 × triple ILAS 3 324 mm torpedo tubes (Whitehead A244S anti-submarine torpedoes)
Aircraft carried:	2 Sea King or HAL Chetak

Standard: 3,600 tonnes

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 a displacement of 3850 tons and a length of 126 metres (413 ft). Although of similar hull and dimension, internally, the Brahmaputra and Godavari classes have different configurations, armaments and capabilities. 3 ships of this class serve in the Indian Navy.

The class and the lead ship, INS Brahmaputra, are named after the River Brahmaputra. Subsequent ships of the class, INS Betwa and INS Beas are also named for Indian rivers.

In 1986, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) decided to diversify India's warship building capability, and start an alternate production line to the Godavari-class frigates that were built at Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in Bombay. 3 additional Godavari-class frigates were to be built at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) in Calcutta. After a transfer of technology from MDL to GRSE, production was to start in 1988, with deliveries between 1993 and 1996.

However, as the production was about to commence, the Indian Navy's requirements were revised, which led to frequent changes in the design. The re-designed ship, christened Project 16A, had its General Arrangement Drawings finalized only in September 1994.

On December 5, 2016, INS Betwa was undergoing a refit at Mumbai's naval dockyard when it tipped over during undocking. The salvage and repair of the ship will take approximately two years.