Vietnam welcomes first US military aircraft since 1975
The Vietnam Air Defence Air Force (ADAF) has taken delivery of its first batch of T-6C Texan II aircraft ordered from the US, a first since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975.
During the handover ceremony at the Phan Thiet air base, the country received the first five out of 12 Beechcraft military trainer aircraft from a deal made in 2021.
The remaining seven are scheduled for delivery by 2025 to operationalize and improve the ADAF’s pilot training program.
“This aircraft is useful materiel which supports Vietnamese military pilots in complementing, enhancing the capability of training, interoperability, meeting the requirements of training military pilots, mission readiness, homeland protection,” ADAF Commander Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Hien said.
US Pacific Air Forces Commander General Kevin Schneider noted that the T-6 aircraft’s delivery “represents the promise we made to assist in your air force modernization efforts.”
“This moment reflects our shared commitment to peace and the rule of law in the region.”
Historic Handover
The handover marks a notable milestone in the two countries’ bilateral relationship since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, which led to severed diplomatic ties and Hanoi’s dependence on Russian-made defense materiel.
Although diplomatic relations were normalized in 1995, the US only lifted its ban on arms sales to Vietnam in 2016.
China’s increasing militarization of the South China Sea, which includes overlapping territories with Vietnam, contributed to this strategic pivot as the Southeast Asian country diversified its defense partnerships.
As such, the recent T-6C aircraft delivery is a major development aligned with the US-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signed in September 2023, which includes a commitment to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific under international law.
In the same month of the signing of the strategic partnership, Hanoi discussed an F-16 fighter deal with Washington.
T-6C Texan II
Textron Aviation developed the next-generation Beechcraft T-6C Texan II military training aircraft for all levels of instruction.
Pilots can be trained at various speeds, such as the T-6C flies at a top speed of 0.67 Mach and can withstand a positive gravitational force of 7.0 G and a negative gravitational force of 3.5 G.
The trainer aircraft measures 33.4 (10.1 meters) long and stands 10.8 feet (3.25 meters) tall.
It features a 33.5-foot (10.2 meters) wingspan and weighs 5,150 pounds (2,336 kilograms).
The T-6C has six hard points that can be equipped with NATO-standard weapons, enabling seamless integration and interoperability with allied forces.
By Christine Casimiro – TheDefensePost.com – November 25, 2024