Rajput-class destroyer

The Rajput-class guided-missile destroyers built for the Indian Navy are modified versions of Soviet Kashin-class destroyers. They are also known as Kashin-II class. The ships were built in the former Soviet Union after considerable Indian design modifications to the Kashin design. These included the replacement of the helicopter pad in the original design with a flight elevator, as well as major changes to the electronics and combat systems. Five units were built for export to India in the 1980s. All units are currently attached to the Eastern Naval Command.

INS Rajput (D51) during an exercise sporting Revathi radar.
Class overview
NameRajput
Builders61 Kommunara Shipbuilding Plant
Operators Indian Navy
Succeeded byDelhi class
Planned5
Completed5
Active3
Retired2
General characteristics
TypeGuided missile destroyer
Displacement
  • 3,950 tons standard
  • 4,974 tons full load[1]
Length146.5 m (481 ft)[1]
Beam15.8 m (52 ft)[1]
Draught4.8 m (16 ft)[1]
Propulsion4 × Zorya-Mashproekt M3E gas turbines[2] in COGAG, 72,000 hp (54,000 kW); 2 shafts[1]
Speed35 knots (65 km/h)[1]
Range
  • 4,500 nmi (8,300 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h)
  • 2,600 nautical miles (4,800 km) at 30 knots (56 km/h)[1]
Complement320 (including 35 officers)[1]
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Navigation: 2 x Volga (NATO: Don Kay) radar at I-band frequency,
  • Air: 1 x MP-500 Kliver radar at C-band or 1 x Bharat RAWL (Dutch Signaal LW08) radar at D-band (installed on INS Ranjit),
  • Air/Surface: 1 x MR-310U Angara radar at E-band, replaced by 1 x EL/M-2238 STAR[3]
  • Communication: Inmarsat,
  • Sonar: 1 x hull mounted Vycheda MG-311 sonar replaced with Bharat HUMSA during MLR, 1 x Vyega MG-325 variable depth sonar
Armament
Aircraft carried1 x Ka-28 in last two ships and HAL Chetak helicopter in first three ships

Service history

The Rajput class inherited their anti-aircraft and anti-submarine warfare roles for aircraft carrier task-force defense against submarines, low-flying aircraft, and cruise missiles from the Kashin class. They were the first ships in the Indian Navy to deploy the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile systems. The systems were deployed during a mid-life refit of the ships. The missile system has four missiles in inclined bow mounted launchers replacing two SS-N-2D Styx AShM launchers in INS Rajput and eight cell VLS system replacing aft S-125M (NATO: SA-N-1) SAM launcher in INS Ranvir and INS Ranvijay.[4] Ranvijay was deployed with an updated vertical launcher for the BrahMos missile.[5] The Indian Navy is planning to upgrade the propulsion of the Rajput-class ships with indigenously developed Kaveri Marine Gas Turbine (KMGT) engine. The Gas Turbine Research Establishment of DRDO has been developing this engine which is currently in testing phase.[6]

During TROPEX-21 exercise of the Indian Navy, the decommissioned Ranjit was sunk by a torpedo.[7][8]

Rajput was decommissioned from the service on 21 May 2021.[9][10]

Ships of the class
Name Pennant Builder Homeport Laid down Launched Commissioned Decommissioned Status
Rajput (ex-Nadezhniy) D51 61 Kommunara Visakhapatnam 11 September 1976 17 September 1977 4 May 1980[1] 21 May 2021 Decommissioned
Rana (ex-Gubitelyniyy) D52 29 November 1976 27 September 1978 19 February 1982[1] Active
Ranjit (ex-Lovkiyy) D53 29 June 1977 16 June 1979 24 November 1983[1] 6 May 2019[11] Sunk during TROPEX-21 as a live target.
Ranvir (ex-Tverdyy) D54 24 October 1981 12 March 1983 21 April 1986[1] Active
Ranvijay (ex-Tolkoviyy) D55 19 March 1982 1 February 1986 21 December 1987[1] Active

See also

References
  1. Commodore Stephen Saunders, ed. (2005). "India". Jane's Fighting Ships 2005-2006 (108th ed.). Coulsdon: Jane's Information Group. p. 314. ISBN 978-0710626929.
  2. "Report No. 20 of 2017 (Navy and Coast Guard)" (PDF). Comptroller and Auditor General of India. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  3. Friedman, Norman (2006). The Naval Institute guide to world naval weapon systems (5th ed.). Annapolis, Md: Naval Institute. p. 243. ISBN 1557502625.
  4. Indian Navy: INS Rajput, 8 Other Warships To Deploy Brahmos Cruise Missiles
  5. BrahMos all set to cruise into Kerala Archived 2007-11-24 at the Wayback Machine
  6. Modified Kaveri Engine to Propel Indian Navy Rajput Class Ships
  7. Indian Navy's Combat-Readiness Exercise Tropex-21 Underway In Indian Ocean Region. Republic TV. 10 February 2021. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  8. "Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise (TROPEX 21) Indian Navy's Largest War Game". Indian Navy. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  9. "INS Rajput to be Decommissioned on 21 May 21". PIB. 20 May 2021.
  10. @ANI (21 May 2021). "INS Rajput, first destroyer of the Indian Navy, which was commissioned on 4th May 1980 will be decommissioned on 21st May during a ceremony at Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam: Indian Navy" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  11. "INS Ranjit Sails into Sunset Culminating 36 years of Glorious Era". PIB. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
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