Destroyers Of The Indian Navy

In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoueverable, long-distance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range attackers. Seventeen destroyers have served, or currently serve, in the Indian Navy. The navy operates 11 guided-missile destroyers from three classes: , , and . Six other destroyers (three R class and three ) have been decommissioned and scrapped.

India did not have any destroyers of its own until 1949. The R-class , built in the United Kingdom, was the first destroyer commissioned in the Indian Navy. Two more of the R-class were later commissioned. Three Hunt-class destroyers were commissioned in 1953 to succeed the R-class destroyers. These ships (all of which were built in the United Kingdom) were decommissioned by 1976, with the Hunt-class the last.

During the 1980s, India signed an agreement with the Soviet Union for five guided-missile destroyers, built as the ''Rajput'' class. The first ship -( - was commissioned on 30 September 1980. Four of the five ''Rajput''-class are still in active service, ''Ranjit'' was decommissioned in 2019. The ''Rajput'' class was succeeded by the ''Delhi'' class, with , and commissioned in 1997, 1999 and 2001 respectively. The ''Delhi''-class destroyers, built in India, were succeeded by the ''Kolkata''-class in 2014. The three ''Kolkata''-class ships were commissioned in 2014–2016, with being the last. An improvement of the ''Kolkata''-class, (part of the ), was commissioned in 2021. The second ship, was commissioned in 2022. Two more vessels are planned as part of the ''Visakhapatnam'' class, and are under various stages of construction.

Commissioned ships

Ten destroyers from three classes are in active service. , the lead ship of the with about 7,500 tonnes of displacement, is the largest. A total of three ''Kolkata''-class ships are currently in service with the Indian Navy. The ''Kolkata''-class destroyers were preceded by the which entered service with the 1997 of its lead ship, . The ''Delhi'' class were the first destroyers built in India. The destroyers, which preceded the ''Delhi'' class, consists of five ships built in the Soviet Union and were commissioned from 1980 to 1990.

''Visakhapatnam''-class

The ''Visakhapatnam'' class (Project 15B) is a class of stealth guided missile destroyers under construction. An improved version of the ''Kolkata'' class and ordered in 2011, the first ''Visakhapatnam''-class ship is expected to be completed in 2018. The first vessel of this class is expected to get commissioned with INS Vikrant and INS Arighat. The class will have enhanced stealth characteristics and state-of-the-art weaponry and sensors, including the long-range Barak 8 surface-to-air missile. The first ship's keel was laid in October 2013. The ''Visakhapatnam'' class are armed with a 76 mm main gun and an AK-630 close-in anti-missile gun system.

''Kolkata'' class

The ''Kolkata'' class (Project 15A) is a class of guided missile destroyers with stealth technology. By the year 2000, the Indian Navy had redesigned the follow-on ''Kolkata'' class to improve technology (including modern stealth characteristics) and in May of that year, approval for the construction was given. Concept and function for Project 15A was framed by the navy's Directorate of Naval Design, while the detailed design was developed by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL). It consists of three ships (''Kolkata'', ''Kochi'' and ''Chennai''), built by Mazagon Dock Limited, which are the navy's largest destroyers. Due to construction delays and a problem discovered during sea trials, the first ship's commission was postponed from 2010 to 2014.

Although the dimensions of ''Kolkata''-class ships are similar to the previous ''Delhi'' class, their weaponry, sensors and helicopter systems have been upgraded. With a standard displacement of and a full-load displacement of (two sources reported a full-load displacement of ), they are the navy's largest destroyers.

The ships' main air-defence armament is two 4 × 8-cell vertical launching systems (VLS) allowing up to 32 Barak 8 (medium- to long-range) missiles. Four AK-630 Close-in weapon system, CIWS are fitted for near defence.

The ''Kolkata''-class ships' primary offensive armament is supersonic BrahMos anti-ship and land-attack missiles. The BrahMos missiles are fitted into a 16-cell universal vertical launcher module (UVLM) allowing one missile per launch silo; all 16 missiles can be fired in salvo. A distinctive armament of the ''Kolkata'' class is its gun forward of the bridge. The 76 mm gun provides limited anti-shipping and anti-air capability in addition to naval gunfire support for land-based operations. For anti-submarine warfare, the class is equipped with a torpedo-launching system (with four torpedo tubes) and two RBU-6000 anti-submarine rocket launchers. Bharat Electronics Limited's electronic modular command and control applications (EMCCA) Mk4 provides combat management.

''Delhi'' class

The ''Delhi''-class vessels are the third-largest warships designed and built in India, after the Kolkata-class destroyers and the s. They were built by Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai. ''Delhi''-class design has Soviet and Western influences, incorporating elements of the , ''Rajput'' and Kashin-class destroyer, Kashin-II-class destroyers and the frigate.

''Delhi''-class vessels are fitted with flag facilities, enabling them to act as command unit in task groups. The vessels are equipped to enable operation in a nuclear, biological and chemical warfare environment. For primary air defence, ''Delhi'' class is fitted with Buk missile system#3S90 "Uragan" / M-22, or for export "Shtil", 9K-90 ''Uragan'' Anti-aircraft warfare, air-defence system comprising a pair of 3S-90 single-arm launchers and Buk missile system#9М38 and 9М38M1 missile, 9M38M1 ''Shtil'' missiles. One launcher is installed forward of the bridge and the other atop the dual helicopter hangar. Each launcher carries a 24 missile magazine for a total of 48 rounds. The ''Delhi'' class is being upgraded with the Rafael Barak 1 Point-defence, point air defence missile system. It has a pair of eight-cell vertical launch systems and missile command-to-line-of-sight (CLOS) radar guidance with a range of .

The ships have a five 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes, which can be used to launch SET 65E active/passive homing torpedo and Type 53 torpedo, Type 53-65 wake homing torpedo, and is capable of hitting targets ranging from to . They are equipped with two RBU-6000 anti-submarine rocket launchers with 12 tubes. They carry a warhead and have a range of .

''Rajput'' class

The ''Rajput''-class guided-missile destroyers built for the Indian Navy (also known as Kashin-II class) are modified versions of Soviet Kashin-class destroyers. The ships were built in the former Soviet Union with Indian modifications to the Kashin design. These included the replacement of the helicopter pad in the original design with a flight elevator (to transports flights, aircraft, and helicopters, from hangar deck to flight deck, and changes to the electronics and combat systems. Five units were built for export to India during the 1980s.

The ''Rajput'' class inherited its Anti-aircraft warfare, anti-aircraft and anti-submarine warfare roles for Aircraft carrier battle group, aircraft carrier task-force defence 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, deployed during a mid-life refit of the ships. The missile system has four missiles in inclined, bow-mounted launchers (replacing two P-15 Termit, SS-N-2D Styx AShM launchers in ) and an eight-cell VLS system replacing and 's aft S-125 Neva/Pechora#Naval version, S-125M (NATO: SA-N-1) Surface to air missile, SAM launchers. ''Ranvijay'' was deployed with an updated vertical launcher for the BrahMos missile. The Indian Navy is planning to upgrade the propulsion of ''Rajput''-class ships with an indigenously-developed Gas Turbine Research Establishment#Kaveri Marine Gas Turbine (KMGT), Kaveri marine gas turbine (KMGT) engine. The Defence Research and Development Organisation Gas Turbine Research Establishment is developing this engine, which is currently being tested.

Decommissioned ships

All presently decommissioned Indian Navy destroyers were built in the United Kingdom and Soviet Union. The R-class was the first destroyer commissioned by the navy; two more R-class ships were later commissioned. Three destroyers were commissioned in 1953 to succeed the R-class destroyers. The R-class was decommissioned on 30 June 1973, the first decommissioned destroyer. It was followed by in 1973, , and in 1975 and in 1976. All the British-built ships were decommissioned by 1976. INS Ranjit (D53), INS Ranjit became the first ship from the Rajput-class destroyer, Rajput-class to be decommissioned. The ship was decommissioned on 6 May 2019.

''Rajput'' class

The ''Rajput''-class guided-missile destroyers built for the Indian Navy (also known as Kashin-II class) are modified versions of Soviet Kashin-class destroyers. The ships were built in the former Soviet Union with Indian modifications to the Kashin design. These included the replacement of the helicopter pad in the original design with a flight elevator (to transports flights, aircraft, and helicopters, from hangar deck to flight deck, and changes to the electronics and combat systems. Five units were built for export to India during the 1980s.

R class

The R class was a ship class, class of sixteen War Emergency Programme destroyers ordered for the Royal Navy in 1940 as the 3rd and 4th Emergency Flotilla. The Q and R class repeated the preceding O and P-class destroyer, O and P class, reverting to the larger J, K and N-class destroyer, J, K and N-class hull to allow for increased top weight (maximum permissible weight). Since they had fewer main guns than the J, K and Ns, magazine space was replaced by fuel bunkers allowing for at . This compared with the of the preceding classes. Like the O and P classes, they were armed with available weapons: 4.7-inch (120 mm) guns on single mountings allowing only 40° of elevation. As a result, on paper they do not compare favourably with many of their contemporaries. These ships used the Fuze Keeping Clock HA Fire Control Computer. The R class repeated the Qs, except that the officers' accommodation was moved from the traditional right aft to a more accessible location amidships.

Hunt class

The Hunt class was a class of Royal Navy escort destroyer. The first ships were ordered early in 1939 and the class saw extensive service in World War II, particularly on the British east coast and in Mediterranean convoys. The Hunts were modelled on the 1938 sloop-of-war, escort sloop . The Hunt class had three twin British ordnance terms#QF, QF Mark XVI gun with a quadruple QF 2 pounder naval gun, QF 2-pounder-mount Mark VII on a hull of the same length, but with less beam and installed power raised to to give . The first twenty were ordered in March and April 1939. They were constructed to Admiralty standards (like contemporary destroyers), unlike frigates which followed mercantile practice.

Future ships

''Visakhapatnam''-class

The ''Visakhapatnam'' class (Project 15B) is a class of stealth guided missile destroyers under construction. An improved version of the ''Kolkata'' class and ordered in 2011, the first ''Visakhapatnam''-class ship is expected to be completed in 2018. The first vessel of this class is expected to get commissioned with INS Vikrant and INS Arighat. The class will have enhanced stealth characteristics and state-of-the-art weaponry and sensors, including the long-range Barak 8 surface-to-air missile. The first ship's keel was laid in October 2013. The ''Visakhapatnam'' class will be armed with a 127 mm main gun and an AK-630M close-in anti-missile gun system.

See also

* List of active Indian Navy ships
* Future of the Indian Navy
* List of ships of the Indian Navy
* List of submarines of the Indian Navy
* List of frigates of the Indian Navy

Notes

Footnotes

Citations

References

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Further reading

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External links

Indian Navy official website

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Lists of destroyers, India
Destroyers of the Indian Navy,
Lists of ships of India, Destroyers
Indian Navy lists, Destroyer