Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Vietnamese counterpart General Phan Van Giang on Monday agreed to enhance industry cooperation, and maritime security, given China’s dominance in the South China Sea and the Indo-Pacific region.
Progress on various bilateral defence cooperation initiatives was reviewed during the meeting, with both sides expressing satisfaction at the ongoing engagements, the Ministry of Defence stated after the official engagement. “Both Ministers identified means to enhance existing areas of collaboration, especially in the field of defence industry cooperation, maritime security and multinational cooperation,” stated the Ministry.
Interest in BrahMos
Sources stated that Vietnam has shown interest in BrahMos supersonic cruise missile to augment it air defence systems and the talks are in early stages. Vietnam is an important partner in India’s Act East Policy and the Indo-Pacific region, said the ministry.
Both the countries have been on the same page to augment their security and strategic interest against the challenges posed by China in the Indian Ocean Region, Indo-Pacific Region and South China Sea.
INS Kirpan
Rajnath Singh also announced the gifting of indigenously-built in-service missile corvette INS Kirpan which, the ministry pointed out, will be a milestone in enhancing the capabilities of Vietnam People’s Navy. The 1,350 tonne corvette is built by Kolkotta-based PSU Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE) and armed with missiles which will empower the country to secure its maritime interests much more confidently.
During his 2022 visit to Hanoi, Defence Minister Singh had handed over to Vietnam 12 high-speed guard boats built under a $100 million Line of Credit granted to it by India.
Indian Navy on more than one occassion has publicly pointed out aggressive presence of Chinese vessels in surrounding seas prompting India not to lower its guard. Way back in 2012, a near face-off was reported when an unidentified Chinese warship confronted an Indian naval ship on sail from Vietnam in the South China Sea.
The Defence Minister of Vietnam also visited Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) headquarters and discussed ways to enhance defence industrial capabilities by co-operation in defence research and joint production.
Earlier in the day, General Phan Van Giang, who is on a two-day trip to India, laid a wreath at the National War Memorial and paid homage to the fallen heroes.