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INS Rajput to be decommissioned today
File photo of INS Rajput
The four-decade-long glorious era will come to an end with the decommissioning of the first destroyer of the Indian Navy - INS Rajput on May 21
Visakhapatnam: The four-decade-long glorious era will come to an end with the decommissioning of the first destroyer of the Indian Navy - INS Rajput on May 21. INS Rajput, the lead ship of the Kashin-class destroyer built by the erstwhile USSR was commissioned on May 4, 1980.
The ship rendered yeoman service to the Indian navy for over 41 years. Owing to the ongoing Covid pandemic, it will now be decommissioned at a solemn ceremony at Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam on May 21 in the presence of in-station officers and sailors with strict observance of protocols.
INS Rajput was constructed in the 61 Communards Shipyard in Nikolaev (now Ukraine) under her original Russian name 'Nadezhny' meaning 'Hope'. The keel of the ship was laid on September 11, 1976 and was launched on September 17, 1977.
The ship participated in several operations aimed at keeping the nation secure. Some of these include operation Aman off Sri Lanka to assist IPKF, operation Pawan for patrolling duties off the coast of Sri Lanka, operation Cactus to resolve hostage situation off the Maldives, and operation Crowsnest off Lakshadweep along with bilateral and multinational exercises. It was the first Indian naval ship to be affiliated with an Indian Army regiment – the Rajput Regiment. In her glorious 41 years, the ship had 31 Commanding Officers at her helm with the last CO taking charge of the ship on August 14, 2019. On Friday, the Naval Ensign and the Commissioning Pennant will be hauled down for the last time onboard INS Rajput, symbolising the decommissioning.
