*New Delhi:* INS Tushil sailed home to India at the Karwar naval base Friday, about two months after it was commissioned into the Indian Navy at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia. Tushil, meaning “shield” in Sanskrit, is a multi-role stealth guided missile frigate. It is an upgraded Krivak III class frigate of Project 1135.6, of which six are already in service with the Indian Navy–three Talwar class ships and three follow-on Teg class ships. The three Talwar-class ships were built at Baltiysky shipyard in St Petersburg, while the three follow-on Teg-class ships were built at Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad. India had in 2016 inked an inter-governmental agreement with Russia for four frigates. INS Tushil is the first additional follow-on frigate. Russia is still working on the second such frigate, Tamal. INS Tushil was commissioned on 9 December in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi. When it sailed into its home port at Karwar Friday, the ship was accorded a ceremonial welcome. It marked the culmination of a journey that spanned over 12,500 nautical miles. The ship had set sail from Kaliningrad on 18 December, 2024, and visited eight countries across three continents on the way back home. As part of its maiden passage around the coast of Europe and Africa, the ship visited the ports of London (UK), Casablanca (Morocco), Dakar (Senegal), Lome (Togo), Lagos (Nigeria), Walvis Bay (Namibia), Durban (South Africa) and Victoria (Seychelles). During the port visits, the crew engaged in professional interactions and undertook capability enhancement and collaborative efforts with the host navies. These visits would help strengthen India’s diplomatic ties with friendly littoral nations. INS Tushil undertook maritime partnership exercises with the navies of Morocco, Senegal, Nigeria, Namibia and South Africa, demonstrating the Indian Navy’s commitment to maritime cooperation and interoperability, the Indian Navy said in a statement. “Besides this, the ship also undertook patrolling off the Gulf of Guinea during her transit, partnering in regional maritime security,” it said