White Home officers say that the 2 nations are nonetheless going by means of negotiations, though the settlement contains the US promoting the not too long ago upgraded F-16 fighter jets to Vietnam Picture Courtesy AP
The US is contemplating making one of many largest arms transfers to its former Chilly Battle rival, Vietnam, in an effort to wean it off Russian weapons and higher arm it towards China, with whom it’s embroiled in maritime boundary disputes within the South China Sea (SCS).
White Home officers say that the 2 nations are nonetheless going by means of negotiations, though the settlement contains the US promoting the not too long ago upgraded F-16 fighter jets to Vietnam. Consultants consider the contract may additionally have requisite missile techniques just like the AIM-120 Superior Medium Vary Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) and AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range AAM if finalized.
Since an arms embargo was eased in 2016, based on media studies, US navy provides to Vietnam have been restricted to coast guard ships and coach plane, whereas Russia has offered practically 80% of the nation’s arsenal.
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The Sukhoi Su-30 is the front-line fighter utilized by Vietnam. Its fleet additionally has guided-missile corvettes, submarines, quick assault corvettes, and guided missile frigates from the Soviet and Russian eras. This contains round 80% of its arsenal.
In line with the report, Washington needs to “shift a share” of Vietnam’s $US2 billion annual arms purchases “over the long term to weapons from the United States or its allies and partners, especially South Korea and India.” Vietnam has solely bought US weapons gear value $400 million within the final ten years.
Following its retirement from its fleet in July of this yr, the Indian Navy gave a Khukri-class missile corvette to the Vietnam Individuals’s Navy (VPN). India was negotiating the sale of its BrahMos supersonic cruise missile to Hanoi earlier in that very same month. On the time, it was merely a hearsay, however immediately it may be argued that this was low-key organised with Washington.
The “cost,” which “Washington is considering structuring special financing terms for the pricey equipment that could help cash-strapped Hanoi steer away from its traditional reliance on lower-cost, Russian-made arms,” is a “major obstacle” behind the miniature illustration of US-made weapons in Vietnam’s arsenal.