Vessel Type: Corvette.
Names & Pennant Numbers with commission
dates:
Vijaydurg K71 (25 December 1976)
- decommissioned on 30 September 2002
Sindhudurg K72 (29 May 1977) -
decommissioned on 24 September 2004
Hosdurg K73 (15 January
1978) - decommissioned on 05 June 1999
Structure: The radome is mounted lower than in Russian ships of this class due to the absence of Fish Bow radar because of the use of the P-20 (SS-N-2C Styx) in place of the SS-N-9 Siren AShM.
Displacement: 675 tons full load.
Dimensions:
Length - 59.3 metres.
.................Beam - 11.8 metres.
.................Draught - 2.6 metres.
Main Machinery: 3 diesel engines with 26,112 h.p. sustained and 3 shafts.
Maximum Speed: 35 knots.
Maximum Range: 2500
miles at 12 knots.
.......................900 miles at 31 knots.
Complement: 42 (incl. 7 officers).
Radar: Air/Surface;
Square Tie, I-band (Range - 40n miles; 73km).
.........Navigation; Don-2; I-band.
.........IFF; High Pole; 2 Square Head.
.........Fire Control; Pop Group,
F/H/I-band for SA-N-4 SAM.
...........................Muff Cob; G/H-band.
Weapons: Four P-20 (SS-N-2C) AShMs, in single-tube launchers, with active radar (Mod 1) or infra-red (Mod 2) homing to 45n miles; 83 km at 0.9 Mach. Becomes a sea skimmer at the end of run. Has a 513 kg warhead.
One OSA-M (SA-N-4) SAM twin-launcher with SAR homing to 8n miles; 15 km at Mach 2.5, with a service ceiling of 3048 meters and a 50 kg warhead. Total of 20 OSA-M missiles.
Two 57mm guns with 90º elevation with 120 rds/min to 4.4n miles; 8 km.
Countermeasures: Decoys;
Two PK-16 chaff launchers.
.........................ESM; Bell Tap; radar warning.
Comments: All three vessels were built at Leningrad, Russia. These ships were the harbinger of the SAM era in the Indian Navy and constituted the 21st Missile Vessel Squadron (K21), based at Mumbai. Interestingly, while the Indian Navy has phased out these ships, the Algerian Navy completed a major refit of their Nanuchka Class corvettes with the 3M-24E AShM and the new Positiv ME1 3D radar.
The vessels derived their names from famous forts, with the Hosdurg being named after a historic fort in Kerala, which was built during the Ikkeri Dynasty by Somashekara Nayak. The Vijaydurg was named after the capital sea fort of Kanhoji Angre, Admiral of the Maratha Fleet. The Admiral was witness to numerous spirited sea battles in history against the Europeans. The Sindhudurg was named after a historic fort, of which for centuries was the bastion of Maratha maritime defense.
On her last deployment prior to her decommissioning on 05 June 1999, the Hosdurg could barely manage 13-14 knots because of her very poor material state. The decommissioning ceremony of the Hosdurg was conducted by Commander Handa, who served as her last Commanding Officer. She served for 21 years in the Navy. In June 2000, the Hosdurg was sunk off the west coast of India, by a Sea Eagle AShM fired from a Jaguar IM of the Indian Air Force.
The Vijaydurg was commissioned at Riga, Russia and on her arrival in India, joined the Western Fleet where she was extensively deployed for local naval defence. The Vijaydurg served for 25+ years and participated in two fleet reviews including the 2001 International Fleet Review at Mumbai. The chief guest at the decommissioning ceremony of the Vijaydurg was Vice Admiral R.B. Suri PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd.), who served as her first Commanding Officer.
The chief guest at the decommissioning ceremony of the Sindhudurg was Commodore I.J. Sharma (Retd.), who served as her first Commanding Officer. She was the first ship in the Indian Navy which shot down the P-15 (SS-N-2A Styx) anti-ship missile, during a naval exercise in the west coast heralding a new era of missile warfare. During her 27 years of service in the Navy, she spent about 3500 days at sea and covered more than 140,000 nautical miles, almost three times the earth's circumference. She also took part in three major exercises - Operation Brasstacks in 1986, Operation Vijay in 1999 and Operation Parakram in 2002. Commander Y.S. Tanwar served as her last Commanding Officer.