INS Khukri (P49)

INS Khukri (P49) was a Khukri-class corvette of the Indian Navy. Commissioned on 23 August 1989, she was the lead ship of her class. The Khukri class corvettes were designed and built in India, intended primarily for coastal patrol and anti-submarine warfare.

INS Khukri (P49) was armed with a variety of weapons systems, including anti-ship missiles, anti-aircraft guns, and torpedoes. She also carried a helicopter for anti-submarine warfare and search and rescue operations.

On 9 December 1971, during the Indo-Pakistani War, INS Khukri (P49) was sunk by the Pakistani submarine PNS Hangor (S131). This was the first warship sunk in combat by a submarine since World War II. The sinking resulted in the loss of 18 officers and 176 sailors, including the ship's captain, Mahendra Nath Mulla. Captain Mulla was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, India's second highest gallantry award, for his bravery and sacrifice during the sinking.

The sinking of INS Khukri (P49) remains a significant event in Indian naval history. A memorial has been erected in Diu, India, in memory of the crew who perished. The event serves as a reminder of the risks and sacrifices associated with naval service. The loss also led to a re-evaluation of anti-submarine warfare tactics within the Indian Navy. A second ship, INS Khukri (P49) (the same pennant number was reused), a missile corvette, was commissioned in 1999 and decommissioned in 2023.