Veer-class corvette

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

INS Nirbhik
Class overview
Name:	Veer class
Builders:	Mazagon Dock Limited Goa Shipyard Limited
Operators:	Indian Navy
Preceded by:	Durg class
Succeeded by:	Khukri class
Planned:	15
Completed:	13
Cancelled:	2
Active:	8
Lost:	1
Retired:	4
General characteristics [1]
Type:	Corvette
Displacement:	455 tons or 477 tons (K91 and K92)
Length:	56.1 m (184 ft)
Beam:	11.5 m (38 ft)
Draught:	2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)
Propulsion:	COGAG: 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
Speed:	36 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)
Complement:	41 (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

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[8]	Decommissioned
INS Nirbhik	K41	Volodarski, Rybinsk	1985	October 1987	21 December 1987[1]	Mumbai	11 January 2018[9]	Decommissioned
INS Nipat	K42	Volodarski, Rybinsk	1986	November 1988	5 December 1988[1]	Port Blair	28 April 2016[8]	Decommissioned
INS Nishank	K43	Volodarski, Rybinsk	1987	June 1989	2 September 1989[1]	Kochi		Active
INS Nirghat	K44	Volodarski, Rybinsk	1988	March 1990	4 June 1990[1]	Mumbai	11 January 2018[9]	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]	Kochi		Active
INS Nashak	K83	Mazagon Dock Limited	21 January 1991	12 November 1993	29 December 1994[1]	Port Blair		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.[11]

INS Nirbhik

INS Nirbhik served in the Indian Navy from 21 December 1987 to 11 January 2018.[12] 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.[9]

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 manned by a crew 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 ship was 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.[11]

INS Nirghat

INS Nirghat served in Indian Navy from 15 December 1989 to 11 January 2018.[12] 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.[9]

INS Pralaya

INS Pralaya is currently in active service with the Indian Navy.[12] 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 2nd May 1998, Launched on 14th Dec 2000, and commissioned on 18th Dec 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 Malera 76/62 Compact, the vessel also has two AK-630s and one Strela 2M MANPAD with 12 reloads for air defence.

See also

• List of active Indian Navy ships
• List of ships of the Indian Navy

References

1. 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
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. "Indian Naval Ships Veer and Nipat to be decommissioned tomorrow". www.indiannavy.nic.in. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
8. "Indian Naval Ships Veer and Nipat decommissioned on 28 Apr 2016". indiannavy.nic.in. 29 April 2016.
9. Pandey, Munish Chandra (12 January 2018). "After serving country for three decades, INS Nirbhik and Nirghat decommissioned". India Today.
10. http://www.indiannavy.nic.in/content/veer-class-abhay-class
11. "Indian Naval Ships Veer and Nipat to be decommissioned tomorrow". www.indiannavy.nic.in. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
12. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 19 June 2009. Retrieved 6 August 2009.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)