INS CHEETAH, GULDAR, AND KUMBHIR DECOMMISSIONED AFTER 40 YEARS OF GLORIOUS SERVICE

On January 12, 2024, the Indian Navy bid farewell to three stalwart vessels, INS Cheetah, Guldar, and Kumbhir, as they were decommissioned at Port Blair after an illustrious four decades of service to the nation. In a solemn and traditional ceremony, the National Flag, the Naval Ensign, and Decommissioning Pennants of the three ships were lowered for the last time at sunset.

Built at Gdynia Shipyard, Poland, as Polnocny class Landing Ships, Cheetah, Guldar, and Kumbhir were commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1984, 1985, and 1986, respectively, in the presence of Shri S K Arora (Cheetah and Guldar) and Shri A K Das (Kumbhir), who were the Ambassadors of India to Poland at that time. Commanded by Cdr V B Mishra, Lt Cdr SK Singh, and Lt Cdr J Banerjee, respectively, during their initial years, Cheetah, Guldar, and Kumbhir served at various naval bases, including Kochi, Chennai, and Visakhapatnam. Later, they were re-based at the Andaman and Nicobar Command, where they served until their decommissioning.

Over the span of nearly 40 years, these ships collectively covered about 17 lakh nautical miles and spent over 12,300 days at sea. As crucial amphibian platforms of the Andaman and Nicobar Command, they conducted over 1300 beaching operations for the landing of army troops ashore.

Throughout their illustrious service, these ships played pivotal roles in numerous maritime security missions and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations. Notably, they contributed significantly during Operation Aman as part of IPKF operations and Operation Tasha, a joint operation in May 1990 between the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard to control smuggling and illegal immigration along the Indian and Sri Lankan border. The ships also made stellar contributions in relief operations post the 1997 cyclone off Sri Lanka and the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.

The decommissioning ceremony was attended by dignitaries, including Air Marshal Saju Balakrishnan, AVSM, VM, Commander-in-Chief Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN), Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti, AVSM, VSM, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, Flag Officers, former Commanding Officers, and the commissioning crew of the three ships. The event held historical significance as three warships of the same class were decommissioned simultaneously on a single day, marking the end of a significant chapter in the Indian Navy’s history.