The ripple effects of Vietnam’s island-building in the South China Sea
In 2021, Vietnam began expanding some of its small- and medium-sized outposts in the Spratly Islands through dredging and landfill. As of now, that effort has resulted in over 2,200 acres of new land being created across ten features, with…
Vietnam invites China, Laos, Cambodia to send troops for Reunification Day parade
Vietnam has extended an invitation to the defense ministries of China, Laos, and Cambodia to send military personnel to participate in the country’s Reunification Day parade on April 30.
Vietnam offers $300,000 emergency aid for Myanmar earthquake
In response to Myanmar’s request for assistance, Vietnam has offered an emergency aid package worth $300,000 to support earthquake recovery efforts.
Vietnam’s urgent air force overhaul : exploring fighter jet options amid global tensions
Vietnam’s People’s Air Force (VPAF) faces a critical challenge: replacing its aging fleet of fighter aircraft while simultaneously expanding its defense partnerships. The backbone of Vietnam’s air force, the Soviet-era Su-22 Fitter, is nearing obsolescence, with multiple recent crashes underscoring…
Western defense companies size up Vietnam’s military market
Vietnam has traditionally been a loyal client of Soviet and Russian military equipment, but Western companies are looking at the Southeast Asian nation as a market with significant potential.
S. Korea eyes $300 m K9 howitzer exports deal with Vietnam
South Korea is in the final stage of reaching a $300 million agreement to export homegrown K9 self-propelled howitzers to Vietnam, industry and government sources said Monday, in what would mark the first arms exports to the Southeast Asian nation…
Vietnam wants U.S. help at sea and chinese help at home
Over the past four years, the Biden administration has invested significantly in expanding and deepening the U.S. defense relationship with Vietnam. These efforts reached new formal heights during President Joe Biden’s state visit to Hanoi in September 2023, when the…
Vietnam, Russia pledge to beef up defense ties at 7th strategic dialogue
Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defense Hoang Xuan Chien and his Russian counterpart Alexander Vasilyevich Fomin have agreed to step up the defense cooperation between the two nations while co-chairing the seventh Vietnam-Russia Defense Strategy Dialogue in Hanoi on Thursday.
How much risk can Vietnam run in the South China Sea ?
If China lowers the threshold of what Vietnamese activities it deems acceptable, Vietnam will find it more difficult to maintain the balance between deferring and defying China.
International aerospace players jockey for Vietnam defence sales
Major western aerospace companies see potential to sell military aircraft and helicopters in Vietnam. Companies such as Airbus Defence & Space, Boeing, Embraer, and Lockheed Martin plan to attend this week’s Vietnam International Defence Expo, which is taking place from…
12 soldiers caught in explosion during training exercise in southern Vietnam
A block of explosives at the National Shooting Range Area 3 in Xuan Loc District in the southern province of Dong Nai exploded, impacting 12 soldiers, with most of the bodies having been found.
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.
Vietnam Spratly Island construction continuing at rapid pace, report says
According to a U.S. think tank, the country is building runways and other “potential military structures” in the South China Sea.
Vietnam imitating China’s island-making in South China Sea
Satellite imagery shows Vietnam rapidly expanding reclaimed land in contested sea but China’s response has been muted
Philippines, Vietnam to hold first-ever joint coast guard exercise
The Philippines and Vietnam will kick off their first-ever joint coast guard exercise in the Manila Bay this week, in line with a commitment by both countries to boost maritime cooperation.
Vietnam’s coast guard visits Philippines for joint drills as they face tensions
A Vietnamese coast guard ship arrived in Manila on Monday for a four-day goodwill visit and joint exercises as the two countries attempt to put aside their own territorial disputes in the face of rising tensions with China over control…
US, Vietnam discuss supplying Hanoi with C-130 military transport planes, sources say
The United States and Vietnam are discussing the sale of Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules military transport planes to Hanoi, two people familiar with the discussions said, in a sign of closer security cooperation between the two former foes.
US warship makes rare call at Vietnam’s Cam Ranh bay port
The USS Blue Ridge has returned to central Vietnam, a half-century after taking part in the final phase of the U.S. war in Vietnam.
How Vietnam is growing bigger by building islands in South China Sea
Vietnam is accelerating its construction of artificial islands amid its territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea. Over the past three years, the area of Vietnamese artificial islands has expanded more than sevenfold, now reaching half the size…
Vietnam’s defense strategy : a maritime-oriented continental perspective
At a time when Vietnam is increasingly looking to the sea, how can it balance a focus on its western continental frontiers and the eastern maritime domain ?
Why Vietnam needs to reevaluate its weapons procurement strategy
Growing concerns over a Chinese-funded canal project in Cambodia underscore the need for a shift from maritime to continental security.
US, Russia to attend Vietnamese military expo
Dozens of countries, including the U.S., Russia, Japan and South Korea, plan to participate in the Vietnam Defense Expo at the end of the year.
Remains of US soldiers repatriated
A ceremony to repatriate two sets of remains believed to be of U.S. soldiers listed as missing in action (MIA) from the war in Vietnam was held at the Da Nang International Airport on Tuesday.
How military service differs among Southeast Asian nations
Conscription, a policy requiring citizens to serve in a country’s armed forces for a specific period, varies significantly across Southeast Asia due to diverse historical, cultural, and security dynamics.
Vietnamese ship joins multilateral naval exercise in India
Ship 20 of Naval Region 3’s Brigade 172 is participating in the 12th Multilateral Naval Exercise (Milan) in the Indian port city of Visakhapatnam, according to the People’s Army newspaper.
Will Vietnam turn to Russia or America for its new jet fighter ?
Vietnam needs to upgrade its ageing fighter fleet. But it faces a list of less than optimal options.