List of destroyers of the Indian Navy

This is a list of destroyers of the Indian Navy, grouped by class, and ordered by pennant numbers within the class. In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller powerful short-range attackers. A total of 16 such vessels have served, or are currently serving, in the Indian Navy. Currently, the Indian Navy operates 10 guided missile destroyers from three different classes namely the, , and. In addition, six other destroyers have been decommissioned: three were from the R-class and three were from the. All the decommissioned ships were scrapped.

Although destroyers were introduced during the 1900s and they were widely used by the world navies by the end of Second World War, India did not operate any destroyers until 1949. INS Ranjit from the R class originated from the United Kingdom was the first destroyer to be commissioned to the service of the Indian Navy. Later two more ships from the R class were inducted. Three Hunt-class destroyers were commissioned into the service in 1953 as successors to the R-class destroyers. All these ships which originated from the United Kingdom were decommissioned by 1976, with INS Godavari (D92) from the Hunt class being the last.

In the 1980s, India signed an agreement with the Soviet Union for five guided missile destroyers. These five ships were commissioned as part of the Rajput-class, with the first ship, INS Rajput (D51), being commissioned on 30 September 1980. All the five ships of the Rajput class are presently in active service. The Rajput class was succeeded by the Delhi-class with INS Delhi (D61), INS Mysore (D60) and INS Mumbai (D62) commissioned in 1997, 1999 and 2001 respectively. All the ships from the Delhi class were built in India. The Delhi-class destroyers were succeeded by the Kolkata-class in 2014. Of the three ships planned under the Kolkata class, two have been commissioned and the last vessel of the class INS Chennai (D65) is schedule to be commissioned by the 2016. INS Kolkata (D63), the lead-ship of Kolkata-class destroyers with about 7,500 tonnes of displacement, is largest destroyer presently in service with the Indian Navy. An extensively improved version of the Kolkata class, INS Visakhapatnam (D66), part of the, was launched in April 2015. Reports indicated that it will be commissioned by the end of 2018. Three more vessels are planned as part of the Visakhapatnam class.

Commissioned ships
Ten destroyers from three different classes are currently in active service with the Indian Navy. INS Kolkata (D63), the lead-ship of with about 7,500 tonnes of displacement, is largest destroyer presently in service with the Indian Navy. Of the three ships planned under the Kolkata class, two have been commissioned and the last vessel of the class INS Chennai (D65) is scheduled to be commissioned by the 2016. The Kolkata-class frigates were preceded by the which entered the service in 1997 when the lead ship of the class, INS Delhi (D61), was commissioned. The Delhi-class destroyers were the first destroyers that originated from India. The destroyers preceded the Delhi -class destroyers, and consists of five ships, all of which were built by the Soviet Union. The ships from Rajput class were commissioned in 1980–90.

The Kolkata class (Project 15A) are a class of stealth guided missile destroyers constructed for the Indian Navy. The class comprises three ships – Kolkata, Kochi and Chennai, all of which are being built by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in India, and are the largest destroyers to be operated by the Indian Navy. Due to delays in their construction, and a problem found during the sea trials, the initial commissioning date of the first ship of the class had been pushed back from 2010 to 2014.

The Kolkata class share similar dimensions to the previous Delhi class, however modifications include major upgrades in weaponry, sensors and helicopter systems. With a standard displacement of 6800 t and a full-load displacement of 7400 t, they are the largest destroyers ever operated by the Indian Navy. Some media reports have even given a full-load displacement of 7500 t.

The ship's main air-defence armament is composed of two 4x8-cell vertical launching systems (VLS) allowing for up to 32 Barak 8 (medium-long range) air-defence missiles. In addition, four AK-630 CIWS are fitted for close-in defence.

The supersonic BrahMos anti-ship and land-attack missiles are the primary offensive armament of the Kolkata-class. The BrahMos missiles are fitted into a 16-cell Universal Vertical Launcher Module (UVLM) allowing one missile per launch silo, and all 16 missiles can be fired in salvo. Perhaps the most distinctive and noticeable armament of the Kolkata class is its 76 mm gun located forward of the bridge. The 76 mm gun provides limited anti-shipping capability and anti-air capability in addition to its naval gunfire support role for land based operations. For anti-submarine warfare, the Kolkata-class are equipped with a torpedo launching system via four torpedo tubes and two RBU-6000 anti-submarine rocket launchers. BEL's Electronic Modular Command & Control Applications (EMCCA) Mk4 provides combat management.

The Delhi-class vessels are the third-largest warships to be fully designed and built in India, after the Kolkata-class destroyers and the s. They were built at Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai. The Delhi class has both Soviet and Western design influences, incorporating elements of the, Rajput and Kashin-II-class destroyers, and the frigate.

These vessels are fully fitted with flag facilities. The Delhi class is also capable of operating in a NBC environment. Radar cross-section reduction is presumed to be minimal, to the extent that some sharp angles have been flattened. In the main air defence role, a pair of two 3S-90 launchers – one installed forward of the bridge and the other atop the dual helicopter hangar – are fitted with the Shtil SAM system. The Shtil system consists of the Russian Shtil missile and 24 such missiles are carried in a below-decks magazine. The launchers elevate up to 70° but have a limited firing arc of 30° within the centreline. The launcher groups require a crew of 20 men and weigh about 50 tons.

The Delhi class is being upgraded with the Rafael Barak 1 point air defence missile system, which overcomes the limited firing arc of the Shtil system. It has an eight-cell vertical launch system and the missile command-to-line-of-sight (CLOS) radar guidance with a range from 500 m to 10 km. The missile's maximum range is 32 km. The ship has a surveillance capacity of over 350 km and can sterilise an area of 250 km.

The ships also have a quadruple 533 mm torpedo launcher, which can also be used to launch SS-N-15 "Starfish" or possibly SS-N-16 "Stallion" ASW missiles, so is capable of hitting targets ranging from 50 km to 120 km. It is also equipped with two RBU-6000 anti-submarine rocket launchers with 12 tubes. Their range is 6 km and the maximum engagement depth is 500 m.

The Rajput-class guided-missile destroyers built for the Indian Navy are modified versions of Soviet Kashin-class destroyers. They are also known as Kashin-II class. The ships were built in the former Soviet Union after considerable Indian design modifications to the Kashin design. These included the replacement of the helicopter pad in the original design with a flight elevator, as well as major changes to the electronics and combat systems. Five units were built for export to India in the 1980s.

The Rajput class inherited their anti-aircraft and anti-submarine warfare roles for aircraft carrier task-force defense against submarines, low-flying aircraft, and cruise missiles from the Kashin class. They were the first ships in the Indian Navy to deploy the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile systems. The systems were deployed during a mid-life refit of the ships. The missile system has four missiles in inclined bow mounted launchers replacing two SS-N-2D Styx AShM launchers in INS Rajput (D51) and eight cell VLS system replacing aft S-125M (NATO: SA-N-1) SAM launcher in INS Ranvir (D54) and INS Ranvijay (D55). Ranvijay was deployed with an updated vertical launcher for the BrahMos missile. The Indian Navy is planning to upgrade the propulsion of the Rajput-class ships with indigenously developed Kaveri Marine Gas Turbine (KMGT) engine. The Gas Turbine Research Establishment of DRDO has been developing this engine which is currently in the testing phase.

Decommissioned ships
Presently, all the decommissioned destroyers of the Indian Navy originated from the United Kingdom. INS Ranjit from the R class was the first destroyer to be commissioned into the service of the Indian Navy. Later, two more ships from R class were inducted. Three destroyers were commissioned into the service in 1953 as successors to the R class destroyers. INS Rana (D115) from the R class was decommissioned on 30 June 1973, and was the first destroyer to be decommissioned. It was followed by INS Rajput (D141) in 1973, INS Ranjit (D209), INS Gomati (D93), INS Ganga (D94) in 1975 and INS Godavari (D92) in 1976. All the British originated vessels were decommissioned by the year 1976. Later, the Rajput-class destroyers, which originated from the Soviet Union, entered service in 1980s and are currently in active service.

R class
The Q and R class was a class of sixteen War Emergency Programme destroyers ordered for the British Royal Navy in 1940 as the 3rd and 4th Emergency Flotilla. The Q and R class were repeats of the preceding O and P class, but reverted to the larger J, K and N class hull to allow for the inevitable growth in topweight. As they had fewer main guns than the J, K and Ns, some magazine space was replaced by fuel bunkers, allowing for some 4675 nmi to be made at 20 kn, over the 3700 nmi of their ancestors. Like the O and Ps, they were armed with what weapons were available: 4.7 inch (120 mm) guns on single mountings that allowed for only 40° elevation. As a result, on paper they do not compare favourably with many of their contemporaries. These ships used the Fuze Keeping Clock HA Fire Control Computer. The R class were repeats of the Qs, except that the officers' accommodation was moved from its traditional location right aft to the more accessible location amidships.

The Hunt class was a class of escort destroyer of the Royal Navy. The first vessels were ordered early in 1939, and the class saw extensive service in the Second World War, particularly on the British east coast and Mediterranean convoys. The Hunts were modelled on the 1938 escort sloop HMS Bittern (L07), a 262 ft ship of 1,190 tons with 3300 shp on geared turbines for 18¾ knots and an armament of three twin Mark XIX mounts for the QF 4 in gun Mark XVI. The guns were controlled by a Fuze Keeping Clock AA fire control computer when engaging aircraft. The Hunt class was to ship the same armament, plus a quadruple QF 2 pounder mount Mark VII on a hull of the same length but with 8 ft less beam and installed power raised to 19000 shp to give 27 kn. The first twenty were ordered in March and April 1939. They were constructed to Admiralty standards, as were contemporary destroyers, unlike the frigates which conformed much more to mercantile practice.

Future ships
The last ship of the Kolkata-class destroyers, INS Chennai, is expected to be commissioned by end of 2016. The are planned as successors to the Kolkata-class destroyers with enhanced attack and stealth capabilities. Of the four ships planned under Visakhapatnam class, two ships (INS Visakhapatnam (D66) and INS Porbandar) are under construction and the other two (INS Mormugao and INS Paradip) are in the planning phase.

Visakhapatnam class
The Visakhapatnam class (Project 15B) is a class of stealth guided missile destroyers currently being built for the Indian Navy. Based on the Kolkata-class design, the Visakhapatnam class will be an extensively improved version. Ordered in 2011, the first ship is expected to be completed in 2018. Project 15B destroyers will feature enhanced stealth characteristics as well as incorporate state of the art weaponry and sensors including the long range Barak 8 surface-to-air missile. The keel of the first P-15B ship was laid in October 2013. The Visakhapatnam class will be armed with a 127 mm main gun and AK-630 close-in anti-missile gun system.