[3] The frigate was commissioned on 19 April 2004 in Kaliningrad, Russia with Captain (later Vice Admiral) Biswajit Dasgupta.

[4] As of August 2024, the current Commanding Officer (CO) of INS Tabar is Captain MR Harish.

It recently visited Port Louis to participate in the Mauritius National Day celebrations.

[6][7] INS Tabar's 28 officers and 232 sailors living conditions are similar to those on the Royal Australian Navy's Adelaide-class frigates.

One downside for INS Tabar and her sister ships is the amount of smoke her engines produce.

INS Tabar's VLS can launch the Indian designed 3M-54E Klub-N (NATO: SS-N-27) subsonic ASCM.

Two Kashtan Air Defence Gun/Missile mounts are INS Tabar's Close-In Weapons System (CIWS).

The Kashtan CIWS has two GSh-30k 30 mm (1.2 in) Gatling guns per mount firing 5,000 rounds a minute, along with eight 9M-311 Grison missiles (NATO: SA-N-11) with a range of 8 km (5.0 mi).

Two pairs of fixed 533 mm (21 in) DTA-53 torpedo tubes are located port and starboard midships.

The radar unfolds during flight and has the ability to detect up to 200 targets while simultaneously track up to 20 airborne or surface threats from a range of 115 km (71 mi) from an altitude of nearly 10,000 ft (3,000 m) Information gathered can be transmitted via an encoded data-link to a ship or shore command post.

Following the media attention to the MT Stolt Valor incident, and a host of other pirate attacks on Indian vessels, as well as the general lawlessness around the Horn of Africa, the Indian government deployed INS Tabar to the area to conduct anti-piracy surveillance and patrol operations.

On 11 November 2008, INS Tabar was called into action to fight off a pirate attack on an Indian ship, the 38,265-tonne bulk carrier owned by the Mumbai-based Great Eastern Shipping Company Jag Arnav, and a Saudi-registered vessel, MV Timaha.

Both ships had crossed the Suez Canal when they were attacked by pirates who surrounded the vessel in small boats.

"Both the ships had crossed the Suez Canal and were a short distance away from Aden when the Saudi vessel was attacked by these boats, each carrying up to five pirates each.

Our frigate patrolling the area responded to a distress call by "MV Timaha" and sent an attack helicopter carrying commandos which opened fire while the pirates were making repeated attempts to board the Saudi ship.

A Chetak helicopter, carrying a team of MARCOS (Indian Navy Marine Commandos) personnel, was sent to the location of MV Jag Arnav.

[12] The head of the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting centre in Kuala Lumpur, Noel Choong, said "If all warships do this, it will be a strong deterrent.

In a report on Somalia submitted to the Security Council, Ban said "I welcome the decision of the governments of India and the Russian Federation to cooperate with the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia to fight piracy and armed robbery against ships.

"[14] Just over a week after the MV Jav Arnav incident, on 19 November 2008, the Indian Navy reported that INS Tabar had come under attack from pirates.

[38] Upon arrival in Russia images revealed by OSINT sources show two kill marks on Shtil-1 launcher.

[39][40][41] On 30 July 2024, while returning, the ship has participated in Maritime Partnership Exercise with the Russian Navy's Soobrazitelny.

As per the press release, "The MPX involved communication drills, Search & Rescue tactics and Replenishment at Sea serials".

[42] INS Tabar conducted Maritime Partnership Exercise with a German Navy Sea Lynx helicopter of 3rd Squadron Naval Air Wing 5 (MFG5) off Kiel Canal while returning from Russia.