INS Kirpan was an indigenously built Khukri-class missile corvette of the Indian Navy.
It was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1991 and served for around 32 years. In July 2023, it was decommissioned from the Indian Navy and handed over to the Vietnam People’s Navy at Cam Ranh, Vietnam.
A corvette is a small, fast and manoeuvrable warship generally used for coastal defence, patrol, escort and anti-surface operations.
Key Features
INS Kirpan was the third indigenously built Khukri-class missile corvette. It was built in India and equipped with weapons and sensors for naval operations.
It had participated in several operational and humanitarian assistance missions during its service. Before being handed over to Vietnam, it sailed from Visakhapatnam to Vietnam on its final journey under the Indian flag.
The important point is that INS Kirpan was not merely a retired symbolic vessel. It was an in-service missile corvette gifted to Vietnam, which made the transfer strategically significant.
India-Vietnam Defence Cooperation
- The handover of INS Kirpan was a major step in India-Vietnam defence cooperation.
- India gifted the ship to strengthen Vietnam’s maritime capability. The transfer reflected the growing trust between the two countries, especially in the context of maritime security and the Indo-Pacific.
- The ship reached Cam Ranh, Vietnam on 8 July 2023, and was formally handed over on 22 July 2023.
- This was the first time India gifted an active warship to another country, making it a significant moment in India’s defence diplomacy.
Strategic Importance
INS Kirpan is important because it shows India’s shift from being only a defence importer to becoming a security provider in the Indo-Pacific.
For Vietnam, the ship strengthened naval capability in a region where the South China Sea remains strategically sensitive.
For India, the transfer supported:
• Act East Policy
• Defence diplomacy
• India-Vietnam strategic partnership
• Maritime security cooperation
• Indo-Pacific balance
• Defence exports and capacity building
It also sent a wider signal that India is willing to support friendly countries through practical defence cooperation, not just statements.
INS Kirpan was an indigenously built Khukri-class missile corvette of the Indian Navy, handed over to Vietnam in 2023 after 32 years of service. Its significance lies in India-Vietnam defence cooperation, Act East Policy and India’s role as a maritime security partner in the Indo-Pacific.
