KALININGRAD, April 26. /TASS/. The Yantar Shipyard (part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation) will complete building two Project 11356 frigates for the Indian Navy by 2023, CEO of Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport (part of the state hi-tech corporation Rostec) Alexander Mikheyev said on Friday.

"We have signed all the schedules and the production programs and the enterprise will be loaded with work through 2022-2023. More than 60 enterprises are taking part in cooperation to implement this project. The period of 2022-2023 is the time for the delivery of the two ships in compliance with the existing contractual obligations [under construction in Kaliningrad]," the chief executive said.

The contract for the frigates’ construction has been signed and advance payments are expected in the immediate future to finance the commencement of work under the project, he said.

"I believe this will be done within two or three weeks," he specified.

As was reported earlier, Russia and India signed contracts in November 2018 on the delivery of four Project 11356 frigates. Under the deal, two frigates will be built at Russia’s Yantar Shipyard on the Baltic coast and the other two will be constructed at India’s Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL). Head of Russia’s United Shipbuilding Corporation Alexei Rakhmanov earlier said that the first Project 11356 frigates for India would be built in Russia within three years.

Project 11356 frigates are designed to deliver strikes against enemy surface ships and submarines in the coastal and oceanic zones and fight air targets both independently and as part of a naval group. The warships of this type are armed with A-190 100mm artillery guns, striking missile and air defense systems, including Kalibr and Shtil complexes and torpedo tubes. The frigates displace 3,620 tonnes, are 124.8 meters long, develop a speed of 30 knots and have an operating range of 4,850 miles. The frigates can carry a Ka-27 helicopter and its modification.