Rajput class

   The Indian Navy ordered five modified Kashin II class guided missile destroyers from the Soviet Union in the 1970s. Built at Nikolayev (now in Ukraine) between 1977-86, the Rajput class was commissioned between 1980-88. Their countermeasure suites were upgraded in 1993-94 but plans for further modernisation with Ukrainian assistance have now been shelved and the navy is looking to Russia for improvements instead.

   Indian press reports in 2002 indicated that one of the Rajputs is being fitted with the Brahmos Indo-Russian missile for its first test-firings at sea. This 300-km range missile is designed to carry a nuclear warhead.

   The primary anti-shipping ship weapon is the P-20M (SS-N-2D Styx), a large subsonic infra-red homing missile with a range of 83 km, it carries a 513-kg warhead. Ranjit and the Ranvijay are due to be fitted with Uran (SS-N-25 Switchblade) missiles after refit. The ships Volna (SA-N-1 Goa) SAMs have a range of 31.5 km and can engage aircraft at up to 22 860 m. All the Rajputs are equipped with a twin 76-mm gun forward, while four twin 30-mm weapons are carried by Rajput, Rana and Ranjit, and four six-barrel 30-mm CIWS mountings are fitted to Ranvir and Ranvijay.