A glorious era of INS Ranjit being the frontline missile destroyer for the Indian Navy is going to end on Monday, May 6, 2019. INS Ranjit, the third of the five Kashin-class destroyers built by erstwhile USSR, was commissioned in 1983 and has rendered yeoman’s service to the Indian Navy for over 36 years. The ship will be decommissioned at a ceremony at Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam.

The ceremony will be attended by personnel who have served onboard INS Ranjit in the past and will also include officers and sailors from the commissioning crew. Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi, the Lieutenant Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, will be the chief guest.

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The Indian Navy has said those who served on INS Ranjit and are desirous of attending the decommissioning ceremony can contact it by calling on +91-8500933530 by 4 May, 20 19.

INS Ranjit was constructed as Yard 2203 in the 61 Communards shipyard in Nikolev town of present day Ukraine. The keel of the ship was laid on 29 June 1977 and it was launched on 16 June 1979. The ship was given a Russian name, “Lovkly”, which means “Agile”. Later, the ship was commissioned as INS Ranjit on 15 September 1983 with Captain Vishnu Bhagwat at the helm. The officer went on to serve as the Chief of Naval Staff during 1996 to 1998. In her maiden sortie, the ship traversed through Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.

For over 36 years, the ship has the distinction of serving in both western and eastern seaboard and has been the flagship of both western and eastern fleets, with its motto of Sada Rane Jayate or Ever Victorious in Battle.

The ship took part in PASSEX with the US Navy in 1991-92, which was a precursor to the Malabar series of exercises with the US Navy. It also took part in the first INDRA (India-Russia) exercise with the Russian Navy in 2003. The ship also participated in the first ever SAREX with PLA Navy in November 2003. In 2007, it took part in the first ever Malabar exercise in the Pacific Ocean as well as the first ever INDRA series of exercises in Russian waters.

In addition, the ship participated in a number of operations aimed at keeping the nation secure. Some of these include IPKF operations, Op-Talwar during Kargil conflict. In 2003, the ship was deployed off Mozambique to provide security cover to the African Union Summit. The ship was also actively deployed as part of Navy`s relief operations post 2004 Tsunami and cyclone Hudhud in 2014. In recognition to her service to the nation, the ship was awarded Unit Citation in 2003-04 and 2009-10.

During her glorious period of service, the ship has raised and groomed many admirals. INS Ranjet has been manned by 27 commissions with the last taking charge of the ship on 6 June, 2017. As the sun sets on 6 May, 2019, the Naval Ensign and the Commissioning pennant will be lowered for the last time on board INS Ranjit, symbolising the end of its time in the Indian Navy.

(The writer is a Delhi-based independent contributor)