India hands over missile corvette INS Kirpan to Vietnam

India on Saturday "gifted" its in-service missile corvette INS Kirpan to Vietnam in reflection of growing strategic partnership between the two sides, especially in the maritime domain.

Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar, currently on an official visit to Vietnam, presided over the ceremony at Cam Ranh where the frontline warship was handed over to Vietnam People's Navy.

It is for the first time that India gifted a fully operational corvette to any friendly foreign country, officials said.

The Indian Navy said the ship has been handed over to Vietnam People's Navy (VPN) with complete "weapon complement".

"On completing 32 years of illustrious service to the nation, Indian naval ship Kirpan has been decommissioned from the Indian Navy and handed over to VPN today," it said in a statement.

INS Kirpan, since its commissioning in 1991, has been an integral part of Indian Navy's Eastern Fleet and has participated in many operations over the last 32 years. Manned by about 12 officers and 100 sailors, the ship is 90 metres long and            10.45 metres in width with maximum displacement of 1,450 tons.

"The transfer of INS Kirpan from Indian Navy to Vietnam People's Navy symbolises the status of Indian Navy of being the 'preferred security partner in the Indian Ocean Region," the Indian Navy said.

INS Kirpan, an indigenously built Khukri-class missile corvette, was handed over to Vietnam in line with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's announcement last month that India will gift an in-service missile corvette to the country.

INS Kirpan departed on her final journey under the Indian tricolour from India to Vietnam on June 28 and reached Cam Ranh, Vietnam on July 8.