Indian Navy's Missile Destroyer 'INS Ranjit' Decommissioned From 36 Years Of Service

Indian Navy's Missile Destroyer 'INS Ranjit' Decommissioned From 36 Years Of Service: Details, Features, Service History

The Indian Navy’s frontline missile destroyer INS Ranjit will be decommissioned after 36 years of service. The decommissioning ceremony will be held at Visakhapatnam’s naval dockyard on 6 May 2019.

INS Ranjit was commissioned on 15th September 1983, with Captain Vishnu Bhagwat in command.

INS Ranjit was launched formally on 16 June 1979 and was given its Russian name “Lovkly” meaning “Agile”.

INS Ranjit was third of five Kashin-class destroyers (a series of anti-aircraft guided missile destroyers) built by former USSR. As of 2019, only one Kashin-class destroyers ship remains in service with Russian Navy, and five with Indian Navy as Rajput-class destroyers.

INS Ranjit is first of five Rajput class destroyer to go out of service. It was constructed with serial number ‘Yard 2203’ in 61 Communards shipyard in Nikolev town, in Ukraine.

INS Ranjit launched with a motto of ‘Sada Rane Jayate’ or ‘Ever Victorious in Battle’, INS Ranjit has been at the forefront in keeping nation secure and deployed in a number of operations including IPKF (Indian Peace Keeping Force) operations and Operation Talwar (1999) during Kargil conflict.

The Rajput-class destroyers (also known as Kashin-II class or Project 61E) are modified versions of Soviet Kashin class destroyers. It includes INS Rajput, INS Rana, INS Ranjit, INS Ranvir, and INS Ranvijay. The Rajput class destroyers were first to be fitted with Brahmos supersonic cruise missiles.