INS Ranjit: The Decommissioning of a Destroyer

INS Ranjit, the third of the Rajput Class destroyers of the Indian Navy, was decommissioned on 6 May, 2019, Sunday.

The fearless destroyer which weighs around 4000 tons, was commissioned way back on 24 November 1983. With a top speed of 35 knots or 65 kmph, the mighty challenger of the seas is also quite long with end to end length being 147m!

The total fleet strength was 320, which included 35 officers, almost all of who attended the decommissioning ceremony held at Naval Dockyard with all pomp and glory reflecting the rich history of the naval ship.

Memories of the past were relieved and light moments shared between crew members, as they recounted the good and hard times which they had gone through, working on this ship. The ship's history goes back to 1977, when the ship's request, under the Soviet name 'Lovkiy' was laid down in a Ukrainian shipbuilding plant.

After loyally serving the Indian Navy for 36 glorius years it was finally decommissioned at Visakhapatnam. The Chief Guest for the Decommissioning ceremony was His Excellency Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi (Retd) Hon'ble Lieutenant Governor, Andaman & Nicobar Islands who was also a part of the commissioning crew.

Interestingly, The ship since her commissioning has sailed for 2190 days covering a distance of over 7,43,000 nautical miles which is the equivalent to navigating around the world 35 times and 3.5 times the distance from earth to moon.

Apart from various naval operations like Op Talwar and various multinational naval exercises, the ship has also been a flag bearer of the Indian Navy's significant role by participating in relief operations held post-Tsunami in 2004 and Hud-hud on 2014.

While the Ranjit era has come to an end in the Indian Navy, the spirit of Ranjit will continue to live in the hearts of every officer and sailor who has served onboard and her motto of Sada Rane Jayat or Ever Victorious in Battle will continue to inspire generations of Sea Warriors today and in the future.

Also, every Indian should be proud of the magnificent service of the Destroyer (D53) which played a very important role in relief operations and has been securing our waters for the last 36 years.