Veer-class corvette

INS Nirbhik
Class overview
NameVeer class
Builders
Operators Indian Navy
Preceded by
Succeeded byKhukri class
Planned15
Completed13
Cancelled2
Active7
Lost1
Retired5
Preserved1
General characteristics [1]
TypeCorvette
Displacement
  • 455 tons or
  • 477 tons (K91 and K92)
Length56.1 m (184 ft)
Beam11.5 m (38 ft)
Draught2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)
PropulsionCOGAG: 2 × Nikolayev Type DR77 (DS71 in K92) gas turbine, 16,016 PS (11,780 kW); 2 × Nikolayev Type DR76 gas turbines, 4,993 PS (3,672 kW) coupled to two shafts
Speed36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph)
Range
  • 2,000 nmi (3,700 km; 2,300 mi) at 20 kn (37 km/h)
  • 400 nmi (740 km; 460 mi) at 36 kn (67 km/h)
Complement41 (5 officers)
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Granit Garpun B (NATO: Plank Shave) E-band air and surface search radar or MR-352 (NATO: Cross Dome) E/F-band air and surface search radar (K91 and K92)
  • Mius I-band navigation radar
  • MR-123 (NATO: Bass Tilt) H/I-band fire control radar or BEL Lynx fire control radar (K91 and K92)
  • BEL Aparna fire control radar
Armament
  • 4 × P-15 Termit (NATO: SS-N-2D Mod 1 Styx) missiles or 16 × Kh-35 Uran (NATO: SS-N-25) missiles (K91 and K92)
  • 1 quad SA-N-5 Grail launcher for air defence missiles
  • 1 × 76 mm 60-cal main gun or 1 × 76 mm 62-cal OTO Melara 76 mm Super Rapid gun (K91 and K92)
  • 2 × AK-630 30 mm gun

The Veer-class corvettes of the Indian Navy are a customised Indian variant of the Soviet Tarantul class.[2][3] They form the 22nd Missile Vessel Squadron (Killer Squadron).[4]

Service history

Eight vessels of this class inherit their names from the 25th Killer missile boat squadron, which attacked and sank two destroyers, a minesweeper and various other support vessels off Karachi during Operation Trident and Operation Python of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.

The last two vessels of this class were built as the upgraded Tarantul V with 16 SS-N-25 'Switchblade' / URAN E Missiles, 1 OTO Melara 76 mm instead of the AK-176, and MR 352 Positiv-E (NATO: Cross Dome) Radar.[5][6]

On 28 April 2016, INS Veer and INS Nipat were the first Veer-class corvettes to be decommissioned from the Indian Navy.[7]

Ships of the class

Name Pennant Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Homeport Decommissioned Status
INS Veer K40 Volodarski, Rybinsk 1984 October 1986 26 March 1987[1] Mumbai 28 April 2016[7] Decommissioned
INS Nirbhik K41 Volodarski, Rybinsk 1985 October 1987 21 December 1987[1] Mumbai 11 January 2018[8] Decommissioned
INS Nipat K42 Volodarski, Rybinsk 1986 November 1988 5 December 1988[1] Port Blair 28 April 2016[7] Decommissioned
INS Nishank K43 Volodarski, Rybinsk 1987 June 1989 2 September 1989[1] Kochi 3 June 2022[9] Decommissioned, preserved at NHMC, Lothal, India
INS Nirghat K44 Volodarski, Rybinsk 1988 March 1990 4 June 1990[1] Mumbai 11 January 2018[8] Decommissioned
INS Vibhuti K45 Mazagon Dock Limited 28 September 1987 26 April 1990 3 June 1991[1] Mumbai Active
INS Vipul K46 Mazagon Dock Limited 29 February 1988 3 January 1991 16 March 1992[1] Mumbai Active
INS Vinash K47 Goa Shipyard Limited 30 January 1989 24 January 1992 20 November 1993[1] Mumbai Active
INS Vidyut K48 Goa Shipyard Limited 27 May 1990 12 December 1992 16 January 1995[1] Mumbai Active
INS Nashak K83 Mazagon Dock Limited 21 January 1991 12 November 1993 29 December 1994[1] Mumbai Active
INS Prahar K98 Goa Shipyard Limited 28 August 1992 26 August 1995 1 March 1997[1] Mumbai Sunk in collision on 22 April 2006
INS Prabal K92 Mazagon Dock Limited 31 August 1998 28 September 2000 11 April 2002[1] Mumbai Active
INS Pralaya K91 Goa Shipyard Limited 14 November 1998 14 December 2000 18 December 2002[1] Mumbai Active

INS Veer

INS Veer was the lead ship of her class and served in the Indian Navy from 26 March 1987 to 28 April 2016.[10] INS Veer was commissioned at Poti, Soviet Union (now in Georgia) on 26 March 1987. Lieutenant Commander Anup Singh was the commissioning Commanding Officer of the ship. The ship has also been forward deployed off the coast of Gujarat, and India's maritime border on numerous occasions to protect offshore assets. After completing 29 years of commissioned service, INS Veer was decommissioned on 28 April 2016. At the time of decommissioning, the ship's commanding officer was Cdr B Charish K Pal, and the ship was assigned to the 22nd Killer Squadron. Veer and Nipat, which was also decommissioned on the same day, were the first Veer class corvettes to be decommissioned from the Indian Navy.[7]

INS Nirbhik

INS Nirbhik served in the Indian Navy from 21 December 1987 to 11 January 2018.[11] She was commissioned at Poti, Soviet Union (now in Georgia) on 21 December 1987 with Commander V R Naphade as the commissioning Commanding Officer. During her three decades of service, she was forward deployed along the Gujarat coast for patrolling and she participated in numerous operations including Operation Parakram and Operation Vijay. The ship was decommissioned at Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on 11 January 2018 and her decommissioning Commanding Officer was Commander Anand Mukundan.[8]

INS Nipat

INS Nipat served in the Indian Navy from 5 December 1988 to 28 April 2016.[10] INS Nipat was commissioned at Poti, Soviet Union (now in Georgia) on 5 December 1988. Lieutenant Commander GV Babu was the commissioning Commanding Officer of the ship. The ship was crewed by a complement of about 100 officers and sailors. The ship was propelled by four gas turbine engines, and was designed to attain a maximum speed of 42 knots. These ships were designed to carry four Surface to Surface Guided Missiles, one Medium Range Anit-Aircraft Gun (an AK 176) and a Close in Weapon System with two AK 630 Guns and associated Radar. The original INS Nipat served as a frontrunner, alongside sister ship INS Veer during the naval offensive on Karachi harbour in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The ship has also been forward deployed off the coast of Gujarat, and India's maritime border on numerous occasions to protect offshore assets. After completing 28 years of commissioned service, INS Nipat was decommissioned on 28 April 2016. At the time of decommissioning, the ship's commanding officer was Cdr D Chakrapani, and the ship was assigned to the 22nd Killer Squadron. Nipat and Veer, which was also decommissioned on the same day, were the first Veer class corvettes to be decommissioned from the Indian Navy.[7]

INS Nirghat

INS Nirghat firing a surface to surface missile during the Combined Commanders' Conference 2015.

INS Nirghat served in Indian Navy from 15 December 1989 to 11 January 2018.[11] She was commissioned at Poti, Soviet Union (now in Georgia) on 15 December 1989 with Commodore S Mampully as the commissioning Commanding Officer. During her three decades of service, she was forward deployed along the Gujarat coast for patrolling and she participated in numerous operations including Operation Parakram and Operation Vijay. The ship was decommissioned at Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on 11 January 2018 and her last Commanding Officer was Commander Mohammed Ikram.[8]

INS Pralaya

INS Pralaya is currently[citation needed] in active service with the Indian Navy.[11] INS Pralaya is an upgraded Veer class corvette of the Indian Navy, the Veer class are based on the Tarantul Class (Project 1241.1) with the last vessels being based on the Project 1241.8. The INS Pralaya (K91) was Laid Down on 2 May 1998, Launched on 14 December 2000, and commissioned on 18 December 2002. She was built at the Goa Ship Yard from plating and a CKD (Completely Knocked Down) kit supplied by the Russians. Her sister ship the INS Prabal (K92) is of the same configuration but was built by Mazagaon Docks Limited. Modified with Russian input, the weapons & sensor fit is similar to that of the Project 25A Class corvette, INS Kirch. Radars include a MR 352 Positiv-E radar, a Garpun Bal E, MR-123 AK-630 directors and a BEL Lynx gunfire control radar. The vessel is armed with four KT-184 quad launchers for the sixteen 3M24E anti-ship missiles with a range of 130 km. The AK-176 of the original Tarantul has been replaced by an Oto Melara 76/62 Compact, the vessel also has two AK-630s and one Strela 2M MANPAD with 12 reloads for air defence.

Surviving ships

One Veer-class corvette has been preserved as of September 2024.

INS Nishank (K43) was transferred to the National Maritime Heritage Complex, Lothal, India in 2023 following her decommissioning in June 2022. She is now open for visitors at the museum.[12][13]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Veer class corvette.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Commodore Stephen Saunders, ed. (2005). "India". Jane's Fighting Ships 2005-2006 (108th ed.). Coulsdon: Jane's Information Group. p. 323. ISBN 0710626924.
  2. ^ Indian Naval Ships-Corvettes-Veer Class Archived 19 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ [1] [dead link‍]
  4. ^ Indian Navy Celebrates `Killers Nite' Archived 9 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "Veer (Tarantul I) Class". Bharat Rakshak. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  6. ^ "K91 INS Pralaya". Bharat Rakshak. Archived from the original on 11 December 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Indian Naval Ships Veer, Nipat decommissioned". The Economic Times. 11 July 2018. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d Pandey, Munish Chandra (12 January 2018). "After serving country for three decades, INS Nirbhik and Nirghat decommissioned". India Today.
  9. ^ "INS Nishank and INS Akshay Decommissioned". Press Information Bureau of India. 3 June 2022. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  10. ^ a b "Veer Class, Abhay Class | Indian Navy".
  11. ^ a b c "Surface Ships of Indian Navy". Archived from the original on 19 June 2009. Retrieved 6 August 2009.
  12. ^ "Transfer Of Nishank To Lothal And Conversion To Museum". 31 March 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  13. ^ "INS NISHANK assembly at NMHC Lothal site". 16 September 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2024.