HOME » INDIAN NAVY TODAY » THE SURFACE FLEET » RAJPUT CLASS

Last Updated: 24 December 2006

Image © Mrityunjoy Mazumdar

Image © Mrityunjoy Mazumdar

INS Ranjit. Image © Indian Navy

INS Ranvijay. Image © Indian Navy

The twin boxed launcher of the Brahmos ASCM can be clearly seen on INS Rajput, which lies docked along with sister ship INS Ranjit, at Singapore's Changi Naval Base in July 2005. INS Rajput along with INS Ranjit, missile corvette INS Khukri and replenishment tanker INS Shakti formed the task group assigned to aircraft carrier INS Viraat during her visit to the country. Image © Lu J Wen

A more close up and detailed shot of the image above. Image © Lu J Wen

An amid-ship shot of INS Rajput (foreground) & INS Ranjit (background) illustrates the physical differences between the AK-230 gunmounts on INS Rajput and the AK-630M gunmounts on INS Ranjit. Curiously, in this picture there is no evidence of a gunfire control director, for the AK-630M gunmounts, aboard INS Ranjit. Image © Lu J Wen

INS Rana, at dusk, floating atop a velvet blanket of sea. Image © Indian Navy

Sailors arm a launcher with a S-125M surface-to-air missile. Image © Indian Navy

A pair of S-125M surface-to-air missiles get armed & ready. Image © Indian Navy

A member of the press tries out the jack-stay transfer for the first time. He is being transferred to INS Ranvijay. Image © Indian Navy via Kapil Chandni

A sailor transfers over to INS Ranvijay. Note the open canisters which house the P-20M (SS-N-2D Styx) AShM. Image © Indian Navy via Kapil Chandni

A close-up shot of INS Rana. Note the P-20M AShM and S-125 SAM launchers. Image © Mrityunjoy Mazumdar

RAJPUT {KASHIN II} CLASS

Vessel Type: Guided Missile Destroyer.

Names & Pennant Numbers with commission dates:
INS Rajput D51 (30 September 1980)
INS Rana D52 (28 June 1982)
 INS Ranjit D53 (24 November 1983)
INS Ranvir D54 (28 October 1986)
INS Ranvijay D55 (15 January 1988)

Structure: Built as new construction for India at Nikolayev, Russia with considerable modifications to the Kashin design. The helicopter hanger has been replaced by a lift from the flight deck. The 76mm twin mount gun and the four launchers which house the P-20M (SS-N-2D Styx) AShMs are sited forward of the bridge. The BrahMos ASCM fitted on INS Rajput has replaced two of these launchers with its own boxed launchers.

Displacement: 3950 tons standard.
 ...................4974 tons full load.

Dimensions: Length - 147 metres.
.................Beam - 15.8 metres.
.................Draught - 5 metres.

Main Machinery: Four 72,000 hp gas turbine engines and two shafts.

Maximum Speed: 35 knots.

Maximum Range: 4000 miles at 18 knots.
 .......................2600 miles at 30 knots.

Complement: 320 (incl. 35 Officers).

Radar: Navigation; Two 'Don Kay', I-band.
 .........Air; One MP-500 Kliver (Big Net-A) radar at C-band (range - 100n miles; 183 km).
 ...............One Bharat RAWL (Dutch Signaal LW08) radar at D-band frequency fitted on D53.
.........Air/Surface; One MR-310U Angara (NATO: Head Net-C) radar at E-band frequency (range - 70n miles; 128 km).
..........................One EL/M-2238 STAR radar on one (or probably both) of the last two vessels.
 .........Fire Control; Refer to 'Weapons' sub-section.

Sonar: A hull mounted Vycheda MG 311 sonar with active search & attack with medium frequency. Also has a 'Mare Tail' variable depth sonar in active search with medium frequency.

Weapons: Four P-20M (SS-N-2D) AShMs, in single-tube launchers, with 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. The forward P-20M missile cells (port and starboard) aboard INS Rajput have been replaced with two boxed launchers housing four PJ-10 (BrahMos) ASCMs. D51 served as the trials platform for the missile, which can be fitted with a conventional or nuclear payload of 200 kg. The missile has a range of ~300 km at 14,000 metres or 120 km at 10 to 15 metres. The missile is believed to have a first stage solid-fuelled booster and a second stage liquid-fuelled ramjet.

A pair of twin launchers is fitted with the S-125M (SA-N-1) SAM. This surface-to-air missile has a range of 17n miles; 31.5 km at Mach 2+. The missile has a 60 kg warhead weight and has a maximum altitude of 75,000 ft. The missiles, total of 44 on-board, have some surface-to-surface capability. Fire control is provided by two (NATO: Peel Group) radar at H/I-band frequency with a range of 40n miles (73 km).

One twin 76mm main gun with 80º elevation and 90 rounds/min to 8n miles; 15km with fire control provided by one (NATO: Owl Screech) radar at G-band. In the CIWS role, the first two vessels are fitted with four AK-230 30mm gunmounts with 85º elevation and 500 rounds/min to 2.7n miles; 5 km with fire control provided by two MR-104 (NATO: Drum Tilt) radar at H/I-band frequency. The third vessel had its AK-230 gunmounts replaced with four AK-630M 30mm gunmounts with an unspecified fire control director to be fitted in due course. It is possible that a BEL-developed AIO (Action Information Organisation) system will be installed. As of July 2005, no such system was visible on the vessel. The last two vessels have four AK-630M 30mm guns with 85º elevation and 3000 rounds/min to 2 km with fire control provided by two MR-123 (NATO: Bass Tilt) radar.

One (or probably both) of the last two vessels have had a pair of their AK-630M gunmounts replaced with the Barak SAM system, with fire control provided by a pair of EL/M-2221 STGR radars. The MR-123 radars were replaced by the Elta STGR radar, during the installation of the Barak system.

One 533mm PTA 533 quintuple torpedo tube launcher is fitted amidship. Armed with the SET-65E; anti-submarine, active & passive homing torpedo to 8.1n miles; 15 km at 40 knots with a 205 kg warhead and the Type 53-65; passive wake homing torpedo to 10.3n miles; 19 km at 45 knots with a 305 kg warhead.

Two RBU-6000 mortars with 12 tubes and a range of 6000 meters. The maximum target submarine engagement depth is 500 meters. Has a 31 kg warhead.

Helicopter Capacity: Has one helicopter pad in the aft of the vessel which carries the Ka-28 Helix-A. Can also carry the HAL Chetak helicopter if required.

Countermeasures: INS Rajput has an EW (Electronic Warfare) suite which comprises a Bharat Ajanta ESM system. Reportedly the other vessels in the class will have their Russian-designed ESM systems replaced with the Ajanta ESM system. Four barrelled chaff launchers are used as radar decoys.

Comments: It is possible than an Italian combat data system compatible with Selenia IPN-10 is installed. Immarsat is fitted. New EW equipment was fitted in 1993/1994. First three vessels are based at Vizag and the last pair at Mumbai. There were plans for modernization with Ukrainian assistance, but it appears that the Indian Navy has turned to Russia for help. INS Ranjit and INS Suvarna, a Sukanya Class large patrol craft, proceeded to Mozambique on a diplomatic mission. On 25 June 2003, this pair of ships attended the 28th Independence anniversary celebrations of Mozambique and presented medicines to the Vice Minister of Health of Mozambique on board INS Suvarna. At the request of President Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique, who boarded these ships on 30 June 2003, the Indian Navy ships remained in the area to provide cover for the African Heads of States Union, which was held from 4th to 12th July 2003. They also trained the Mozambique Navy and weaved bonds of friendship during their stay.

INS Rajput served as the trials ship for the PJ-10 (BrahMos) cruise missile, which is expected to carry part of the strategic second-strike capability of the armed forces. The missile has been test fired four times - 12 February 2003, 23 November 2003, 03 November 2004 and 15 April 2005 - from INS Rajput. The last test involved a moving target, which was a decommissioned vessel of the Indian Navy. The targeted ship ended up in pieces, due to the power of the missile and its kinetic energy derived from its supersonic speed. This test was witnessed by Admiral Arun Prakash, Chief of Naval Staff; A S Pillai, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, BrahMos Aerospace, which manufactures the missile in India; Vice Admiral Sureesh Mehta, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff; Rear Admiral Pratap Singh Byce, Flag Officer Commanding, Western Fleet and other senior Naval officers.

INS Rajput fires her RBU-6000 mortor. The 76mm gun, the S-125M SAM launcher and the P-20M AShM launcher can be clearly seen. Image © India Defence ConsultantsINS Ranjit shoots off one of her four P-20M AShMs during a live fire exercise. Image © Indian NavyINS Rajput on the high seas. Can anyone explain why nearly a large number of her personnel are huddled together in the rear? Image © Indian NavyA line drawing of the Rajput Class destroyer

Copyright © BHARAT RAKSHAK. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of BHARAT RAKSHAK is prohibited.