INS Nirghat (K89)

For other ships with the same name, see INS Nirghat.

History
Indian Navy
Name:	INS Nirghat
Commissioned:	29 January 1971
Decommissioned:	31 July 1989
General characteristics
Class and type:	-class missile boat
Displacement:	245 tons (full load)
Length:	38.6 m (126 ft 8 in)
Beam:	7.6 m (24 ft 11 in)
Speed:	37+ knots
Complement:	30
Armament:	4 × SS-N-2A Styx anti-ship missiles 2 × AK-230 30 mm (1.2 in) guns

INS Nirghat (K89) was a -class missile boat of the Indian Navy.

INS Nirghat was a part of the 25th "Killer" Missile Squadron of the Indian Navy.

Operation Trident

Main article: Operation Trident (1971)

During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, INS Nirghat was part of the Operation Trident strike force, along with her sister vessels from the 25th Killer Squadron (INS Veer and INS Nipat). On the afternoon of 4 December 1971, the strike group made its way towards Karachi. Late that evening, around 70 mi (110 km) south of Karachi, Nirghat detected a large Pakistan Navy target, later identified as the destroyer PNS Khaibar, about 45 mi (72 km) to her northwest. Nirghat launched two SS-N-2 Styx missiles at Khaibar, sinking her.

Other vessels of the strike group sank the Pakistan Navy minesweeper Template:PNS and the merchant ship MV Venus Challenger.

Lieutenant Commander Inderjit Sharma, the commanding officer, and Master Chief Petty Officer M. N. Sangal of Nirghat were awarded the Vir Chakra for their roles during the operation.